Ultimate Sacrifices
by Mike Stormm
Summary: All heroes make sacrifices for the greater good but even heroes have their limits. Can the Titans survive as a team when everything that they hold dear is put on the line? Ch19: An unexpected ally makes a return to save the life of one of the Titans
1. Prologue: How Time Flies

**Disclaimer:**

Teen Titans and all its characters, names, etc. are the intellectual property of its respective owners. I do not claim ownership over Teen Titans or anything within it. Though I wish I could...cause that would just be awesome. The newly created characters, however, are my intellectual property.

**Author's Notes:**

_Ultimate Sacrifices_ is the final installment in the _Blackfire Trilogy_ with its predecessors being _The Plains of Daluram_ (part 1) and _The Blackluck Angel _(part 2). While it would be recommended to read the previous two installments, it is not necessary for the enjoyment of this story. The prologue should be enough to bring new readers up to speed. Thank you and enjoy the story.

**Prologue: How Time Flies**

Dear Diary,

Big day tomorrow! It's Blackfire's 21st birthday and her sister apparently has something big planned for her. I haven't been let in on most of the details but apparently we're going to be gone for a couple of days and it's going to be just us girls on it. It was hard to believe that only a few years ago those two siblings were practically at each other's neck trying to rid the other out of their lives…now those two are probably closer than ever.

I don't know much of what happened between the two Tamaraneans before I met Blackfire but from what I've been told there were some disputes involving a throne and a lot of sibling rivalry being blown out of proportions. An incident about two years ago, where Blackfire and the Titans got transported to another dimension, helped heal the rift between the sisters though it only got the two to respect each other and Blackfire to promise to try and make something of her life. It wasn't until six months after that incident did Blackfire finally have that opportunity to really show herself and the world that she could be more than just an angry alien with incredible powers.

It all started when the Adamantine Prison, where Brotherhood of Evil and its 'recruits' were all being held, was broken into and all the prisoners, save for the Brotherhood leaders, were released. The Titans were sent to investigate with the assistance of an old friend of theirs, Jacqueline L'Armor, better known as the Jack-of-All-Trades. Sadly, their investigation didn't reveal much until the perpetrators of the crime began causing trouble in Jump City. They were a group known as the Legion, comprised entirely of highly intelligent and deadly robotic warriors and led by three generals – Achilles, Bellerophon, and Heracles. What was worse was that commanding the generals were none other than Brother Blood and Slade.

I, however, did not get involved in this situation until a bit later. At the time I was having difficulties of mine own. My former associates, having escaped from the Adamantine Prison, paid me a visit for a little revenge. If they hadn't taken me by surprise and overwhelmed me quickly I might've been able to beat them. I only just managed to escape and those…goons started squatting in my home! It was this dilemma that led me to meet Blackfire for the first time. At first I didn't pay much attention to her and when she agreed to help me get my home back, I figured I could just use her to do exactly that and nothing more would come of it. This unusual contract eventually became a friendship and when I got my home back, it became our home – it was getting a bit lonesome living on my own in such a big place.

Some time later, I received a call from Kid Flash asking for assistance. Apparently the Titans were getting a little overwhelmed with the Legion and called for some back up. After some…correction, a lot of convincing I got Blackfire to lend some muscle as well.

The Titans had a new guest as well – another robotic girl on the run from the Legion came crashing into the Tower and Cyborg and Kid Flash were able to protect her from some pursuing Legionnaires. Her name was eventually discovered to be Atalanta and though her memory was heavily damaged, Cyborg promised to help get to the bottom of who she really was. His investigation eventually led him from Jump City to Steel City where he discovered a horrifying fact – Atalanta was actually a part of the Legion. Sadly, he only learned this fact when she attacked him and Cyborg was captured by the Legion. The other Titans remained oblivious to Atalanta's betrayal and even Cyborg's disappearance as the Legion replaced him with a very convincing robotic duplicate. One by one, the other Titans were lured away from the tower, captured, and replaced by the Legion. Raven was able to catch on to what was going on and just barely managed to escape her 'friends' and fled to Blackfire and me for assistance.

At the time, we thought we were really dealing with the Titans who had suddenly gone rogue. It was then that Raven explained to us that the Titans were going to be helping with security at some big political meeting of the world leaders in Jump City. Clearly, the Legion was planning to cause havoc and let the Titans take the blame for it. Kid Flash, Blackfire, and I raced to stop the rogue Titans but we wound up getting our butts kicked by the Titans. On the bright side, we did save the politicians but we realized we were in over our heads dealing with the Titans.

We decided that it was time to get help and we traveled out east to Steel City to contact the Teen Titans East. However, we soon discovered that the Titans East had already been subjected to the same 'replacement' that the Titans in Jump City experienced. Brother Blood was even there to rub their supremacy in our faces. Blackfire managed to hold them off while we made our escape. Meanwhile, back at my home, Kid Flash and Jacqueline, who we had rescued from the Titans while saving the politicians, were attacked by a detachment of Legionnaires. Despite their supposedly best efforts, the Legion succeeded in capturing Raven and destroying my home.

When we regrouped, Blackfire had brought along another friend of hers – a thief by the name of Red X. The others, including myself, were a bit skeptical at first but with five of us the odds were at least tilted in our favour. We launched out attack on the Titans Tower and were successful in defeating all of them; it was then that we discovered that the Titans had all been replaced with robot clones. We knew we had to find the real Titans but other pressing concerns were diverting our attention.

Apparently, the Legion had struck a deal with the criminals it freed and all of them had begun causing havoc throughout the city. At first, Blackfire and Red X were unwilling to help us any further but eventually their consciences got the best of them and the five of us became the new protectors of Jump City.

After another attack on the tower by the Legion general, Achilles, we were able to learn of the locations of two key Legion buildings: a factory building and a shipyard. Splitting into two teams, Red X and Blackfire attacked the factory while Jacqueline, Kid Flash, and I went to investigate the shipyard. At the factory, Blackfire and Red X were able to locate and free the Titans, destroy the Legion's ability to manufacture more troops, and defeated Heracles.

At the shipyard, we discovered the final product of Slade's master plan. Using the Legion's technology, he had created a giant, airship called the Argo. It housed a giant particle cannon that would be devastating against the city if the Argo got into the air. When Blackfire and the Teen Titans arrived, we were able to push back the Legion, destroy their last general, and get onboard the Argo. Once again, we were forced to split up in order to accomplish our goals. Cyborg went off on his own to find Atalanta, who he still felt he could save. Poor guy…he and Atalanta got along so well and now they were forced to fight each other. Kid Flash and I went to find the real Titans East, who were being held somewhere on the vessel. Shortly after freeing them, we ran into the robotic clones of the Titans East and made short work of the imposters. Blackfire and Starfire went after Brother Blood and were able to take him down and Robin confronted Slade. Unfortunately, Slade managed to escape.

With the Argo under our control and the Legion crippled, we returned back to the Tower to recover. Robin informed us that the Legion had not been destroyed nor were they actually under Slade control, rather working in an alliance with him. Chances were, the Legion would return one day, though we have not seen a sign of them since. Blackfire, Red X, Kid Flash, Jacqueline, and I all agreed that we made a pretty damn good team and we unanimously decided to form our own little group of heroes. I was surprised to see Red X agree but apparently he was willing to be a good guy so long as he remained by Blackfire's side. They made a cute couple…though not as cute as Kid Flash and I.

Since our home had been destroyed by the Legion, we were able to convince the Titans to let us take possession of the Argo…once we stripped off the gigantic energy cannon of course. After a few months of renovating, we managed to make the Argo feel much more like a home – just took a couple square kilometers of carpeting, some better lighting, and some paint to bright up the rooms; Cyborg even helped to install an entertainment room so we could all just kick back and relax. There was more than enough room for the five of us so a lot of the space was converted into training rooms, study halls, storage spaces, and, of course, a Jacuzzi room.

A girl needs to relax after all.

We even managed to decide upon a team name…after about an hour of debating, fifty minutes of name-calling, and several incidences of roughhousing. We finally agreed upon the Argonauts. It was my suggestion too so I was quite pleased with myself.

The Teen Titans didn't have any problems with sharing some of the limelight with us. At first we mostly handled small things and helped the Titans out when things got rough but eventually our team starting became a recognized force of its own. It wasn't long until the Titans and us were sharing responsibilities of watching over Jump City.

Blackfire, while always one to jump on opportunities to celebrate, has been a little…reluctant to discuss. I admit that I do not know a great deal still about my friend and I do hope this outing will do exactly that. At the very least, we'll try to get Blackfire back into the partying mood tomorrow.

-Jinx


	2. Chapter 1: Oblivion Overture

**Chapter One: Oblivion Overture  
Steel City**

**The lightning's roar echoed through the downtown core of the dense urban jungle.** The ebony clouds coated the sky from horizon to horizon and the rain poured down upon the fair city like a waterfall of the heavens. The flash and crash of the tempest grew closer and closer to being one as the weather front began to blanket the city in a torrent of water and wind. So forceful was the wind that the rain fell upon the land at extremely shallow angle, almost sideways as it were. Those unfortunate to be caught in the rain found no solace beneath their umbrellas and traffic slowed to a crawl as rain began to bog down the roads. Even the champions of justice fell victim to this act of nature. Upon the rooftop of a small building, taking shelter from the rain beneath a small awning next to the maintenance rooms was one such unfortunate hero: the champion archer known as Speedy. The speed of this tempest caught the patrolling hero by surprise and while he wouldn't hear the end of it if he returned home early, he wasn't in the mood for getting soaked. What criminal would be robbing in this weather anyways? Besides, if anything happened his teammates would be able to handle it fine without him.

"Damn wind…cutting straight to the bone," he grumbled as he rubbed his forearms for warmth. Another flash of blue and white flooded the skies, followed by the monstrous roar of thunder. Speedy could practically feel the reverberations rattling his bones and viscera. The storm was getting closer and closer and unless he wanted to get caught in the middle of the worst part, he would be better off returning back to base right now.

Well…maybe the rain would lighten up a bit first.

When his communicator started beeping for his attention, Speedy was prompt to answer it, in hopes that it would be Bumblebee telling him that they could all call it a night until the weather improved. "Please give me some good news," Speedy answered jokingly.

"Actually I was hoping you could give me some," Bumblebee retorted dryly.

"Aside from a rainstorm that makes Noah's flood look a drizzle, it's been pretty quiet on this side of town."

"Are you even patrolling or are you just hiding under a roof?"

"I'm watching the streets," Speedy insisted, merely glancing over the edge of the roof to see the street immediately below. "The gutters are clogged and the streets are covered in about an inch of water. Aqualad would have a field day if anybody tried to start trouble tonight."

"Alright then, just take another ten minute patrol and you can head back home. Only the complete insane would try something in this weather," Bumblebee replied. Speedy mentally sighed in relief at the news he had been waiting for. He didn't want to spend another minute out in this weather…though he would have to settle for ten.

However, despite what Bumblebee might have remarked, there were indeed sinister beings wandering the dark recesses of Steel City and most were quite sane. Only a few rooftops from Speedy's position, a flash of thunder illuminated a tall, cloaked silhouette. A thick cloak wrapped around the tall figure's upper body, only leaving the unusual wide-brim of its headgear visible. The rain collected upon the brim, running along the tilt of the person's head and dripping at the very front just in front of a single, glowing red eye. The sloped peak of the headgear and the long feather-like extension made it look like a feathered cap of ancient times, though any hat would surely have been blown off in such windy conditions. The figure remained in its spot for a brief instant, watching the young Titan hero in the distance, and by the time the next lightning flashed across the sky, the silhouette had disappeared.

"Okay Speedy you can do this. Just ten more minutes and you can be back in your home with a nice hot cup of cocoa," Speedy reassured himself as he stepped out into the rain. The things one had to endure just to be a hero.

Just as he made it over to the edge of the roof, getting ready to jump over to the next, a very distinct and loud crunching noise caught his attention. Turning about quickly, the strange figure that had been watching Speedy just moments ago now stood on the opposite side of the rooftop. The glow of the lights from nearby buildings provided sufficient illumination to make out the finer details of this enigmatic being. Immediately it was very apparent that this was no living being standing before…but a machine. The cold, metallic features of it face were quite clear to Speedy. Where the other eye would commonly be was a small domed region, akin to an eyepatch, which was rather unusual for a robot to need. Speedy could also make out the two crescent-like fins that extended from the machine's shoulders, which poked from beneath the cloak wrapped around its body. Its one eye was transfixed on Speedy while a smug grin curled upon those mechanical lips of his.

"What the…who the hell are you?" Speedy remarked as he was a bit surprised by the being's sudden appearance.

"Just call me a fan of yours," the machine replied, its voice filled with a synthetic, youthful vigor.

"Well…um, I always appreciate fan support," Speedy replied in confusion. Why did this machine seem to strike a sense of familiarity with him?

"I always wanted to do this." The machine drew the cape back, revealing the metallic, armoured body beneath it. The frame was rather lithe and smooth in its surface contours, save for the thicker armour plates that line the left side of its body. The water barely seemed able to hold onto the blue, metal armour and the flashes of lightning made it almost shimmer to Speedy. The plates of armour that were attached to the left arm, shoulder, upper chest, thorax, pelvis, thigh, and leg were reminiscent of the old styles of plated armour worn by archers in medieval times. When the stranger grabbed the crescent-like fins on its shoulders, pulled them off, and connected them together it became apparent to Speedy that this machine was, in fact, an archer of a high-tech nature.

"You better not be trying what I think you are," Speedy warned as he hastily readied his bow and trained his arrow upon this apparent adversary.

"Pretty confident in your abilities…as to be expected," the adversary retorted, shifting his stance so that his left, armoured side was facing Speedy. "How about we make this interesting, hm? If I cannot defeat you with one single arrow, I shall surrender myself unconditional to you."

"If you want to be that hard on yourself, be my guest." Though it didn't show, a small part of Speedy was slightly unnerved by the machine's proposition. Nobody makes such bold statements without very, very certain of their abilities. Speedy, however, was not about to falter in his confidence.

"Take your best shot."

Not to be one to disappoint, Speedy let the arrow fly. The rain made it difficult to aim and the wind forced Speedy to compensate for the drift it would cause but even with these difficulties the arrow flew on target towards his opponents head. Just moments before it would've hit, as if waiting for the last possible moment, the robotic archer arched back and let the arrow just skim past his polished metallic cheek. The grace and precision in which the machine moved made it look like it had scripted by some higher being – only a few millimeters of space had separated the arrow's head from the opponent's face…

"Every bit as good as they say," the machine replied as Speedy readied three arrows at once. Speedy figured while this machine could dodge one arrow, dodging a barrage was going to be a whole new story. Quick dodging wasn't the only trick this enigmatic machine had in store for Speedy. Grabbing hold of its cape with its free hand, the machine brought it across in a wipe, sweeping motion. The speed and accuracy of the heavy cape's motion actually scattered the arrows aside as if they were nothing more than toothpicks.

Now Speedy was beginning to worry, starting a continuous barrage of arrows. His adversary began flailing the cape about with swift motions of its arm and pirouettes. No matter how many he fired, no matter how quickly they flew, every arrow of his wound up on the ground along with all the others. Piles of arrows began to form as the machines relentless precision was beginning to wear down on Speedy's endurance.

Growing weary of this game, the machine began a sprint across the rooftop and began to add diving and jumping to its array of defenses. If the machine was this good at dodging, Speedy was beginning to worry about just how good it might be once it went on the offensive. Strafing over to the neighboring building, the robotic archer executed a graceful forward flip and springing off the wall of the second building. The machine arced across the sky, its body slowly rotating until its feet were straight up in the air and its bow directed downward at Speedy.

A blue string of energy formed between the tips of the bow and as the machine drew back on the string and glowing white arrow formed between the fingertips of its hands. As the energy arrow launched forth from the high-tech bow, Speedy attempted to intercept the missile with one of his own. While Speedy might not have much success in hitting his opponent, he still had the hope that he could stop the one attack and his adversary would keep its promise.

His eyes began to widen in horror when the white arrow collided with his own but instead of being stopped or deflected, the arrow plowed straight through his and sent its splinters across the rooftop. The white continued on course and there was absolutely nothing Speedy could do about it anymore…

The only audible sound over the downpour afterwards was the impact of the robotic archer when it landed on its feet. The bow powered down and he promptly disassembled it and put the pieces upon his shoulders. The storm provided the perfect cover…minimal visible…massive amounts of background noise…nobody would even suspect what had transpired on the roof until somebody stumbles across Speedy's bow, which fell to the street below and was swept away in the flooding streets.

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Several blocks away on the other side of the downtown core, the leader of the Titans East was beginning to have doubts about patrolling such hazardous conditions. Part of her knew that Speedy was probably not going to do much patrolling even though she had asked for another ten minutes from him. As a result, she figured that it would be better for her to just pick up the slack from Speedy since she didn't mind the water nearly as much as Speedy did.

The wind was forcing her to keep a low altitude but still staying above the rooftops of the downtown buildings – in a storm this bad the streets were practically wind tunnels. It wasn't so bad when the wind was blowing in the same direction she was going but her movements were brought almost to a crawl when she had to fly into the wind. Every drop of rain felt like a small pebble being thrown into her face but her determination to do her duty was not allowing her to even stop for a moment.

On a rooftop not too far away, a figured hiding in the shadows stirred to live. A red glow pierced through the darkness before a figure moved out of the shadows of the surrounding buildings. It was another robotic warrior, this one possessing a large and hulking frame with heavy, thick plates of armour fused to its chassis. On each bicep a small double-barreled gun was hanging in an inactive position along the long axis of the arm and behind each shoulder was pod of some sort. The left pod was thick and rectangular while the right was long and cylindrical and while each weapon was large, none of it rivaled the girth of the warrior's frame. The red glow emanated from its eyes, which were shielded behind a glass and metal visor. From each side of his head a thick horn curved forward along the jawline and a third, thinner horn extended posteriorly from the top of its forehead.

"She is out there…" it spoke in a deep, baritone voice that was drowned out by another crash of thunder. Turning about, the shadowy figure lifted a large metal case off the ground and carried it over to the edge of the rooftop. After setting it down, the figure promptly opened the case up revealing the weapon housed within it. Though crude in design, the weapon consisted of a tubular propellant section with a large caliber warhead mounted at the very tip of it. It looked exactly as what it was – a bomb on a stick. Handling the weapon in its left hand, the figure rested the shaft between its elbow and body and steadied its aim into the darkness of the night. Then it simply held its posture and waited…

"You know what Speedy, you can just call it a night now – the twins and I will pick up the rest," Bumblebee announced, figuring that it'd be a lot easier for her and the twins to keep patrolling rather than continuing subjecting Speedy to it. However, there was no answer from the other end of the line and the only noises present were the rain and thunder. "Hey Speedy! Can you hear me?" Again, there was no answer.

Alas by paying little attention to her surroundings, combined with the drowning of the thunder, Bumblebee didn't even notice the rocket streaking across the sky towards her. Only once the echoes of the thunder died down could she pick up the faint sounds of burning propellant. By that point it was too late and the rocket was only a few feet from impact. Unlike Speedy's battle, discretion was not exercised as a fiery explosion illuminated the sky. In the distance, the flying heroine could be seen plummeting towards the earth and finally crashing onto the roof of a parked car.

"Too easy," the mystery assailant muttered to itself as it tossed the discharged weapon to the side.

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The explosion over the city obviously did not go unnoticed for very long. The speedster twins, Mas and Menos, were promptly alerted by the sight of an expanding ball of flames and shrapnel above the city. The only thing that was more startling than the explosion was the fact that it came from the direction of their friend Bumblebee.

" What could have done that? " Mas asked his brother.

" Better call the others! " Menos decided as he pulled out his communicator. Just as he was about to press the call button, a black, metallic blur whisked past their faces and the communicator had vanished from Menos' palm. " What just happened? " The twins stared dumbly at where the communicator was just a few seconds ago wondering who rather than what.

"Over here little boys," a strange, dull but quick voice spoke from behind. Leaning up against the wall of the alley behind them was yet another robotic assailant. This one was incredibly slender though and only about the size of an average human. The only parts with some major girth were the legs, which were somewhat disproportionally larger than the rest of its limbs. The rain seemed hardly able to even cling to the superbly polished black metal plates that covered its frame. Perhaps the most unusual feature was the double cone-shaped head, with a point extending both from the face and one from the back of the head, which was slightly higher than the forward extension. There were no visible eyes, no mouth, and yet it still to Mas and Menos that it was giving them an almost paralyzing gaze as it spoke to them. "Little boys should not be playing hero…somebody could hurt," the machine added as it held the communicator one hand, promptly crushing it beneath its fingers.

" I don't like the looks of him, " Menos whispered as the two brothers backed away from the menacing figure slowly.

" Maybe we should find the others. "

" Maybe you two should start running for your lives, " the machine interrupted having switched over to Spanish. A point charge of electricity began building up at the tip of its face and then discharged a blast of electricity at the twins. It caught them by surprise and the blast knocked them both over.

" We should find the others, " Mas suggested, to which his brother quickly nodded in agreement. Slapping their palms together, the twin superheroes took off in the opposite direction in hopes of finding one of their teammates. They barely made it across the street when that black blur appeared once again and solidified into the form of their attack right in front of them. They screeched to a halt, stunned by the sudden appearance of the mechanical foe.

" Run, run, run as fast as you can… " It taunted just as Mas and Menos took off in a new direction. Once again they only made it down the length of the city block before the figure cut in front of them and blocked their route of escape once again. " Can't escape me, I'm the mechanical man. "

The machine's taunts didn't stop the twins from attempting yet another break for freedom. Heading down another road, they ran as fast as they could but only a quick glance to their right revealed that their pursuer was having no difficulties keeping up with them. The machine quickly veered towards them, slamming into the twins and knocking them back to normal speed as they crashed into the sidewalk.

" I can't believe I'm saying this but…he's too fast, " Menos groaned as he got back to his feet.

" There's no way he can outrun us, come on! " Mas encouraged as Menos helped him back to his feet. Hastily, the twins took off again with their mystery pursuer close behind them. The twins raced through the streets of Steel City, ducking and waving through every obstacle they could find in hopes of throwing off their pursuer. They figured all they would need was to divert his attention for a few seconds for them to escape.

" Hey, where'd he go? " Menos suddenly asked as he glanced over his shoulder and saw absolutely sign of their pursuer. The two halted in the middle of the intersection, trying to find some sign of the mysterious assailant. There wasn't so much as a ripple in the puddles and there weren't any shadows to hide in thanks to the numerous streetlights. " No way we could've lost him that easily. "

Finally, the twins looked upwards and it was there that they saw their adversary descending upon them. Arcs of electricity sparked from its raised fist as it smashed its fist into the ground before the twins. It was the last thing they recalled before a shockwave of energy consumed the entire intersection.

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"Thank goodness I'm used to being wet all the time," Aqualad remarked as he strolled back into the tower after a long day of patrolling Steel City's coastline. Even though the rain didn't bother him, the high winds didn't make swimming near the surface very easy. Since he didn't really talk underwater, the fact that he hadn't heard anything from his teammates in a while didn't strike him as out of the ordinary. Oblivious to the plights his teammates experienced, Aqualad was looking forward to taking the rest of the evening off and relaxing for a few hours with his friends.

"Hey guys where are you?" Aqualad called out as he walked through the oddly darkened halls of his home. Usually all the lights were kept activated on the commonly used floors but tonight there was nothing on at all. At the moment, he figured that his friends hadn't returned from the city yet and thus it fell upon him to start turning on lights. Aqualad was a little surprised that nobody was back yet – he was typically among the last with Speedy being the first. He reminded himself that the storm was likely slowing his friends down and at least now he would be able to decide what the gang will eat for dinner.

Arriving in the main living room, Aqualad found yet another darkened room. He was certain now that he was going to be alone for the next while. However, the second he turned on the lights he was shown the horror of his incorrect assumption. His teammates were definitely home before him but they were definitely not the condition that he had expected them to be. A wounded Speedy mounted upon the wall, propped up dozens of his own arrows embedded into the wall beneath his arms and legs. Blood trickled from an injury in his side but it wasn't a life-threatening injury. Bumblebee was laid down on the couch – her clothes and parts of her skin were scorched by the heat of the warhead and a number of jagged pieces of shrapnel and glass were embedded into her skin. The twins were strung up by their feet and their singed bodies hung from the ceiling before Aqualad.

"Oh my god…" Those were the only words he could muster through the sheer shock of seeing his friends strewn across the living room like hunting trophies. Who could've done this? When he raced to his friends' sides, he ran face-first into some sort of invisible barrier. It took him by a bit of surprise but it wasn't a wall that he ran into…it was a person. A green, hazy silhouette appeared before Aqualad and then details began to arise until a tall, mechanical being stood before him. Tall and slender, its thin waist but broad hips gave it a somewhat feminine appearance, along with a somewhat anatomically accurate molded frontal armour. There were even thick strands of black metallic-like hair extending from the back of its head and draping over its shoulders down to its waistline. Two soft, glowing yellow eyes stared at Aqualad as he backed away slowly – stunned by the figure's sudden appearance.

"I was wondering when you were going to get back," the figure spoke with a very distinctly feminine voice. Its slender arms folded across the gold and silver plated armoured chest as a smirk curled across its robotic lips.

"Who are you?" Aqualad quickly demanded angrily. "What have you done to my friends?"

"I brought them here actually," she answered.

"So…am I supposed to be thanking you?"

"Oh heavens no…" she mused as she turned about. An unusual cape drifted across floor as she turned; instead of a tight-weave of fine fibers, it was composed of larger metallic panels strung together by a strange series of metallic fibers and instead of many weaves and it was actually eight rows of metallic chains hanging alongside each other. "Cause I'm going to do to you what my friends did to your friends."

"Then you're going to pay for what your friends did!"

"You should be more concerned about staying alive for the moment," she replied before spinning around suddenly, letting the chains flail wide and smash Aqualad across the room. As Aqualad rushed back to his feet, the individual chains began to launch forward, striking the ground and walls as Aqualad danced around them. The metallic panels that made up the chains turned out to be extraordinarily sharp as they cut slits into the surroundings. Two chains embedded into the ground but instead of recoiling back to their owner, they tightened their hold on the ground and pulled the warrior towards Aqualad. He caught both feet squarely to the chest and was launched straight into the wall behind him. "So when are you going to start making me pay, hm?"

Several of the chains wrapped tightly around Aqualad and with a quick flick he was thrown to the far side of the room. The impact with the computer screen sent a shower of broken glass to the floor and Aqualad sprawling in pain. Grabbing the computer console, he struggled to pull himself back to his feet. The battle was only a few seconds young and it was already looking bad for him. He slammed several of the buttons on the console, trying to get a communication line out to their allies.

"This is Aqualad calling anybody who can hear this, we're under attack and need back-up quickly!"

The message only lasted a few moments as those chains of his adversary ripped through the console. Unfortunately, there was definitely no chance of getting another message out so he could only hope that somebody, preferably the Titans West, heard the message. "Calling for friends…now that's not sporting at all," his foe spoke as she grabbed him by the back of his neck. She proceeded to slam him face-first into the console several times over and then threw him into the center of the room where his friends were. "By the way, I'd like you to meet a few friends of mine…"

As Aqualad pulled his face off the cold, metallic floor, he was face-to-face with a very large and very angry looking mechanical wolf. The light reflected off its chrome metal body and its faint red eyes gazed savagely at the injured Titan. The mechanical beast was not alone though, standing on the opposite side was another of similar construct but fashioned into the form of a wildcat. The two of them emitted a low, harsh growl while they loomed closer to him.

"Have fun," she waved before the two beasts pounced upon Aqualad.

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"All the Titans East operatives have been incapacitated," the feminine, robotic warrior reported via a live feed from the Titans Tower. It projected upon a large screen across from a single figure that was sitting in a simple chair beneath a point source light.

"And I assume a distress called was sent out?" a young, female voice replied from the person in the chair.

"Yes General. A signal was sent out on a broad-frequency distress channel. Our shades were able to intercept the communications and prevented it from leaving the immediate vicinity."

"Let the distress signal go…we want the Titans to know what has happened here. If they hurry they might be able to save them. Get your brother and meet me in Jump City. "

"Yes General Athena." With a quick salute, the screen shut off leaving the seated figure to contemplate the next move.

"Oh Hephaestus, I could use a hand over here," she called out to another figure in the room. In the only other illuminated section of the room, another figure was hunched over a workbench. This particular mechanoid was far rather unique in that its torso rode upon a disc-shaped hover pad. Its body frame consisted of simple rounded armour plates on an average-sized frame. A glowing blue visor gazed upon the project it was working on – a very human-looking but robotic arm.

"Of course m'lady," the robot replied in a light and hoarse voice. Its lithe fingers gently lifted up the limb and he floated over to the seated figure. It moved to her left side where there was a stump where an arm should've been. Very carefully, the robotic mechanic fitted the arm onto the stump and it locked into place. The artificial flesh that covered the mechanical limb slowly gathered colour until its tone matched the rest of the arm and then the digits began to twitch to life. "Your new arm houses a NEO cannon, which is directly powered by your reactor. It's power perhaps rivals even that of your brother's disintegrator gun."

"Once again your genius knows no bound," she chuckled in an amused tone. A strange fabric lying beneath her arm began to curl up and wrap itself around her arm, forming a tight mesh around her limb that connected to the rest of her bodysuit.

"I am but a servant to your graciousness," the robot replied, bowing his head politely.

"Now could you be a dear and fetch me my other arm? I prefer having my right," she asked politely as she waved her over stump to him.

"Right away m'lady."

"Once the upgrades are complete I can finally go and join my comrades in Jump City. It's been a long year but it's finally time for the Legion to return. I've been…looking forward to seeing Cyborg again."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to see him? You know we were never actually able to purge your other half," the mechanic sounded his concerns as he started mounting the second arm into place.

"Ah yes…some people just don't know when to give it up. However, I have everything under control Hephaestus," she replied once the second limb was attached. "The Titans may have ruined my plans last time but now we have taken everything in account. There shall be no failures this time – we hit the Titans where it hurts and we make them suffer for their interference." She rose from her seat and her blonde locks fell down her shoulders as she stood. Her soft blue eyes gazed up to the light as the panels on her back released and the mechanical angel wings expanded out to their full glory of a near ten-foot wingspan. "And our first target shall be Victor Stone…"


	3. Chapter 2: A Princess' Return

**Chapter Two: A Princess' Return**

**Tamaranean Capital City, 16 Years Ago**

**The moonlight beamed through the open windows lining the halls of the great palace. **Few sounds could be heard in the empty halls save for the occasional pair of patrolling guards that kept an eye out for any dangers that might lurk in the shadows. Though the upper halls might be narrower than the more commonly used lower chambers, the guards made sure that the hulking figure of Galfore was given plenty of room as he made his way down the halls. His destination was the chambers located at the very end of the hallway, inside a dozen elder Tamaraneans sat at a large U-shaped table. At the very end was a pair of exceptionally large, ornament throne chairs that were unfortunately empty...as they would've been the seats of the Grand Ruler of his spouse. However, after the death of Myand'r and Luand'r, the parents of Starfire and Blackfire, the control of Tamaran was passed onto the advisory council in which Galfore was a senior member of.

Indistinct chatter drifted through the air from one end of the table to the other but it all silenced when the massive chamber doors opened and the hulking warrior entered.

"You are late Galfore," one of the council members spoke as Galfore took a seat at the apex of the table.

"Princess Koriand'r was reluctant to rest for the night," he replied brashly with a slight frown across his aged face.

"Well now that baby-sitting is over I think it is time that we finalize this…unfortunate business we have on our hands," another council member spoke up and addressed the others. "General morale of the populace has been on a steady decline ever since the Citadel Empire and their Gordanian allies stepped up their offensive against our planet. With the loss of General Ryenh last week morale in the regular army has hit an all-time in our military ranks. Galfore…we know you have your hands full with this task charged you to you by our late King and Queen but…our people need you on the frontline."

"He is correct," the first council member added. "Without a figurehead leading our forces against the Gordanians and the Citadel Empire, our people feel that they being sent into a hopeless battle."

"You cannot expect me to just abandon the only surviving members of the Royal Family. They are still far too young to take care of themselves. To ignore this duty would be a dishonour to the memory of our Grand Ruler," Galfore promptly contested. The other council members saw the integrity in Galfore's good eye – there was no chance that he was going to see things their way.

"Then we do not have much choice. Our people feel at a loss – they have lost their guidance and do not know what they are fighting for anymore. They need a ruler once again."

"The Princesses are but children, we cannot actually expect them to be able to rule. And our warriors are supposed to be fighting to protect our people, our world, and our Princesses."

"Yes…about the princesses," a council member reluctantly brought up the next issue. "I think we have delayed that decision for long enough Galfore. Princess Komand'r is…um…"

"She is what?" Galfore questioned angrily, not at all pleased with how the council member was addressing this issue. Everyone at the table knew that the subject of the two young princesses was a very, very sensitive subject for Galfore and discussing it in any amount required a great deal of light steps.

"She is not desired," another council member quickly stepped in as the previous was losing his nerve against Galfore. "People either see her as bad luck, punishment from X'hal, or that she will grow up to be a weak leader. Whatever the reason, our people do not feel inspired when they are told that they are fighting for her." Galfore was immediately silenced by the council member's remarks, knowing full well that they were true sentiments of their people. "The other members and I were discussing it before your arrival but I believe that we should…enact a pren gluborb."

"You wish to strip her of her title?" Galfore repeated. His distaste for the idea was quite evident in his tone, though it had been that way for most of the meeting. "Pren gluborb is reserved for when the Grand Ruler violates our sacred laws…or if the next in line is physical unable to fulfill their duty. Princess Komand'r is neither of those and just because she is not liked is not a reason to enact pren gluborb!"

"You are forgetting one fact Galfore – pren gluborb can be initiated by the Grand Ruler of Tamaran for any reason that they see fit. Since we, the council, have taken the place of the Grand Ruler, if we come to a unanimous decision then it can be enacted."

Galfore let out a low growl of discontent, clenching one fist in anger. "You said it had to be unanimous. I am a part of this council and I do not agree to this course of action."

"Be reasonable Galfore! You would put your own personal feelings above the needs of our people? Every conflict we lose more and more of our warriors and morale continues to spiral downwards. They need hope…they need something worth fighting and dying for and Princess Komand'r is not that icon. Not to sound disrespectful but she is…a bit of a brat. She is rude to the guards, her sister, and pretty much everybody else that she talks to. Even Myand'r and Luand'r realized the inevitability of this decision and you know that. Naming Koriand'r the Crowned Princess might be the morale boost we need to survive this war…otherwise we just might be sitting upon the edge of oblivion."

His rage and anger began to subside, slowly being replaced with reluctant acceptance. "And how will I explain this to her? She has been looking forward to taking the throne since the day she was born."

"Princess Komand'r must do what is best for her people, even if that does mean sacrificing the throne. Besides, ruling a planet is not as glamorous as she thinks it is. She's still royalty and she'll still have the privileges that come with it, except she won't be burdened with all the responsibilities of leading a planet – I think when the day comes she'll be relieved that she was spared such a hefty and tiring burden."

"I sincerely doubt that," Galfore answered bitterly. "And if I continue to disagree with you?"

"Your position on this council is out of respect for our late Emperor's wishes. If you continue to hold back this council's decision we can merely vote to have you removed from it." Alas, while he might've held a great deal of respect as a warrior, he could not say the same about his status as a politician.

He let out a reluctant sigh before rising from his seat. "Very well, you may have your pren gluborb. I warn you though - Princess Komand'r will not take this decision lying down. She is strong and prideful like her father…she will fight for her birthright."

"You are her Knorfka, I would recommend you begin teaching that there are things in life more important than being Grand Ruler." As much as Galfore didn't want admit to it…but the council member did have a point that time around. It would take some time but perhaps Galfore could convince the princess to see the wisdom in the council's decision. Actually it was sort of a long shot. Komand'r already wasn't particularly close with Galfore, or anybody in fact, and compromise wasn't one of those things that she understood very well. Galfore knew all too well that Princess Komand'r did not go quietly when it came to doing something that she did not want to do.

This decision was going to come back to haunt them. Galfore would stake his reputation on that. The simple question was when and how bad would it be when the time came? Their only hope would be that the Princess learned some morals as she grew up…but at such a young age she was already full of hate and anger. He feared that it might already be too late…if not now then definitely after the news is broken to her. Quietly exiting the chambers, Galfore noticed that the chamber doors were slightly ajar. The other council members didn't seem to be paying much attention so Galfore simply left and closed the door behind him. Now he distinctly remember the doors shutting after he entered, so who had opened them again?

A small piece of jewelry upon the floor confirmed what he had feared. It was a small silver, ornate ring that bore the crest of the royal family upon a flattened surface. Hung from a simple chain, there was no doubt in Galfore's mind that it was Komand'r's. Her father gave the ring to her when she but an infant and it signified her place as next in line for the throne. It appeared that, despite her young age, she was smart enough to understand what had just been done to her and her dreams.

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**Jump City, Present Day**

"Come on Cyborg, you can do it!" The over-lapping cheers of the Teen Titans filled the living room as they and their allies, the Argonauts, gathered around the kitchen table.

"Just keep at it Blackfire. Only a little more to go!" Jinx and the other Argonauts cheered for their team leader.

"Time!" Robin shouted as the two giant, empty mugs slammed onto the table. Cyborg and Blackfire stared stoically at the other, gripping their beer mugs tightly as they waited for the final verdict. "Cyborg's time is twenty-two point five seconds. Blackfire's time is twenty-three point one second." Immediately cheers and disappointed sighs engulfed the table with Blackfire growling in ire at her defeat.

"And so in a best three out of five competition, our chugging champion remains the one, the only – Cyborg!" Beast Boy announced as he lifted Cyborg's triumphant hand into the air, followed by one massive belch from the victorious Titan.

"Bah…who'd want to be champion of drinking this orthox-excrement of a drink anyways?" Blackfire scoffed as she tried to uphold her pride despite the narrow defeat. "Now if you'll excuse me…I think I'll go collapse on a couch for an hour or so…" As the alcohol began to set in, Blackfire stumbled over to the Titans' couch and promptly performed a precision face-plant into its soft cushions.

"Well zat didn't take very long. Is it me or has she been a little…distant all day?" Jacqueline commented after she observed her friend's behavior. "I mean she was absolutely in ze middle of zings back on Cyborg's B-day, so why is hers being such a downer?"

"Back on Tamaran, her birthday was never really much of a festive occasion. I suppose a part of her is still not used to such celebrations about her," Starfire answered with a hint of concern in her tone. Technically speaking, it was the night just before Blackfire's birthday since Starfire's special plans would take up most of the actual day and she still wanted to have an actual party with all her friends.

"What happened? She never really tells us anything," Kid Flash asked as the Titans and Argonauts sat around the kitchen table now that the drinking competitions had settled down. The only one who didn't was Red X, who headed over to join Blackfire on the couch. Even after a year being a hero with the Argonauts, he still always felt a bit out of place amongst them and typically spent most of his time with Blackfire.

"It is not really my place to discuss it," Starfire replied. "A very bad thing happened on the same day as her birthday. As a result, our people rarely felt very jovial on that day. My sister, of course, shares those feelings of discouragement. Hopefully tomorrow, though, we'll be able to change that."

"Don't suppose you can let us in on what you've got in store," Jinx whispered. Starfire giggled gleefully – she did so love to throw surprises for her friends and her sister was no exception. She had to be careful though. Blackfire couldn't catch a word of what the surprise might be or it'd be completely ruined. The surprise was going to be half the fun really. Her friends, however, could be told in advance. Starfire subtly leaned over to Jinx and whispered the plans into her ear. "Whoa…would you actually get away with that?"

The reaction immediately got the attention of everybody else at the table, prompt the news to be whispered from person to person. They periodically glanced to ensure that Blackfire wasn't listening in but it was clear that Blackfire wasn't going to be up to anything any time soon.

"So um…who'll be going anyways? I mean, zere's only so much room in the ship," Jacqueline inquired. The trip would require the use of the T-ship and regrettably there were twice as many people as there were seats. "Can't let Blackfire choose so I guess it's the three who want to go. I know I want in."

"I have to be a part of this," Jinx added. With Starfire and Blackfire taking a seat each, that meant there was only one seat left.

"Hey Raven, wanna tag along?" Jacqueline asked.

"Not really my thing."

"Oh come on," Jacqueline egged on. "It'll be a good chance to get away from the guys for a little while."

"Fine…it'll be better than being stuck here with Beast Boy."

"Woo-hoo! A girls' night out. Ze boys can watch over the city while ze chicks stir up some fun."

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"Hey dude, what are you doing hiding from the party in your room?" Beast Boy asked curiously as he strolled into Cyborg's room. It was very early in the morning and the party was beginning to quiet down, though still a ways from finishing. The girls would likely be leaving in a few hours, which meant if they wanted to use the T-ship Cyborg would have to start prepping it soon.

"Oh…hey BB," Cyborg greeted. He was a bit surprised to see his friend checking in on him. Cyborg was seated in front of his computer and Beast Boy promptly noticed the frozen video frame that was on the screen. It was a homemade video of one of the few occasions that Cyborg and Atalanta were able to do something not work-related. "Sorry, I just needed a little bit of time to myself."

"Still thinking about her?" Beast Boy remarked rhetorically as he walked over to Cyborg's side and looked at the small memento he kept on his desk. It was a small metallic white feather encased in a simple plastic box. It was the only piece of Atalanta he found after his fight with her on the Argo over a year ago. Beast Boy couldn't blame Cyborg for keeping the small trinket – he could certainly relate to the feeling with regards to a certain blonde geomancer. Both were blonde, both had betrayed the Titans, both were still alive somewhere out there, and both were never going to be the girl that they fell in love with. It was hard for both of them to believe that it had really been over a year since they last song the one that got away.

"Not quite as often these days but…I suppose the whole birthday thing just got me thinking about how much time has gone by," Cyborg answered with a light sigh, leaning back in his seat. "Hard to believe that the Teen Titans have been around for almost four years. How time flies, huh?"

"I know. When I left the Doom Patrol I figured I was going to have to tough it out on my own for a while…never would've believed I'd wind up here."

"I always thought I'd be hiding in my home from people until I figured out a way to stop looking like a mechanical freak of nature."

"And now you're the coolest, butt-whooping-ist, cybernetic hero that ever fought crime!"

"I'm pretty sure I'm the only cybernetic hero at the moment," Cyborg replied dryly, though he fully understood what his friend was trying to get across. It was akin to what Atalanta had once said to him – if it hadn't for his transformation, the Titans and the world might not be where they are today. "Heh, you know…a few more years and we won't really be able to call ourselves the _Teen_ Titans anymore."

"You're right!" Beast Boy gasped with a playful panic. "We're going to have to come up with a new name. If we change our name I'm going to have to get new business cards!"

"Why would you need business cards? People know who we are."

"They won't when we change our name!"

"We've got an alien, you, and me…we're not exactly a group that's easy to mistaken," Cyborg answered. "We've saved the city and world more times than I have chips in my head…we live in a giant T that's visible from pretty much every skyscraper in the city. Unless we decide to move some place like Gotham or Metropolis, we're going to remain pretty well known regardless of what we call ourselves."

"What do you suppose we'll change our name to?"

"We'll probably just drop the 'Teen' part. 'The Titans' sounds pretty good to me. Besides, we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves. Right now I'm the only one that's not a teenager anymore."

"You're right," Beast Boy nodded, breathing a slight sigh of relief. "Who cares what we're called so long as we're still the same five butt-kicking super heroes."

"Exactly," Either way, chances were that no matter what they called themselves, people would always remember them as the Teen Titans. "Who knows where the Titans are going to be ten years down the line."

"I bet in ten years we'll be so big that no criminal in the world will ever try anything ever again. Then I can just sit back and relax in front of the tube until I retire."

Cyborg never really gave much thought about what he would be doing ten years down the line. He had his dreams and hopes when he was younger but they were dashed to pieces when the accident happened. After joining the Titans, Cyborg didn't really think there was anything he'd want in life aside from being a part of that team. However, when he met Atalanta he realized that there were still things that being half-machine didn't stop him from doing and there were still hopes and dreams he could accomplish outside of the Titans. "I'm not sure if I'll still be part of the team in ten years…"

"What?" Beast Boy shouted in surprise. "Why would you want to leave us?"

"Settle down BB…I just said that I'm not certain. I mean, being a hero is the greatest but there's still some things I want to do with my life. Some of those things might not let me be a hero all the time," Cyborg tried to calm his friend down while still not giving him false hope. There was a pretty good chance that Cyborg might leave the Titans, if just relinquishing a full-time position. One concern of his was that since he was half-technology now, he'd have to dedicate a lot of effort in making sure that he stayed state-of-the-art. If his technology started becoming obsolete, he'd be virtually useless as a hero. "Besides, ten years is a long time…who knows what will happen between now and then."

"I guess you have a point there," Beast Boy admitted reluctantly, starting to take a more serious perspective to his future. "I always did want to get into show business."

"Just promise me you won't join a circus," Cyborg chuckled.

"I was thinking maybe I could try being a comedian."

"Well you've got your work cut out for you. Just try using somebody aside from Raven as a sounding board – try Jacqueline, she actually seems to think some of the things you say are funny."

"Yeah, who thought the French had a sense of humour," Beast Boy laughed. "Hm…she's pretty cool you know? You think she'd be interested in a guy like me?"

"Umm…" Cyborg didn't want to speculate too much on the issue, both out of respect for Jacqueline and Beast Boy's feelings. "I don't think you're her type. She's very…um…picky. Now I could be wrong but I don't think the person she's looking at is you."

"Well who else is there? Robin's with Starfire, Red X is with Blackfire, and Kid Flash and Jinx are together. You and I are the only bachelors Titans in the city."

"Uh, Beast Boy? She prides herself on versatility. You get where I'm going?"

"Yes!"

Cyborg just stared at Beast Boy for a moment, a slightly discouraged look on his face. "You don't, do you?"

"No…"

Cyborg simply laughed as he got out of his seat and patted his friend on the shoulder. "I'll explain it to you when you're older," he quipped before he headed on his way out. "I think I should get down to the T-ship and get it prepped if the girls want to use it for later. Thanks for the chat BB."

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"How much longer am I going to have to wear this thing?" Blackfire asked as she sat in the central pod of the T-ship. A simple length of black clothe wrapped around her eyes, leaving her oblivious to where the ship was going and her only clues were the noises she heard around her. Even her sense of hearing wasn't of much use as she wore a headset so she could still talk with her friends in the other sections of the ship. Raven and Starfire sat in their usual pods while Jinx took Robin's usual seat and Jacqueline sat at the rear. "It feels like I've been sitting here forever..."

"It would kind of defeat the purpose of a surprise if we told you," Jinx replied, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that Blackfire was keeping the blindfold of. "Remind me when we get back to the Tower to ask Cyborg to build us one of these. I think the Argo could use an Argo Jr."

"I don't think we have a place to hold it," Blackfire answered, though liking the idea of a smaller vessel. While the Argo's flight capacities were very useful, it was large and wasn't the fastest thing in the sky. A second ship would allow them to respond more rapidly to situations.

"Well ze Argo had a small bay designated as a drop-point for any troops housed inside. It's large enough to hold a ship and right now I'm just using it cause it's got a nice view of the underside of ze ship." It would require a massive overhaul of the ship's lower sections to convert a portion of the ship to a hangar. Chances were that Cyborg wouldn't find the time to build something as extensive as another T-ship. Jacqueline, being the mechanic of the team, figured she could build one herself so long as she got some blueprints to work off of. "I'll get to work on something when we get back and I'll make our birthday present to you."

"Does that mean I get to fly?"

"You're better at driving things than me," Blackfire remarked. Piloting skills weren't exactly a priority for a person who could fly on their own.

"I'm probably better off back here with all ze engine stuff," Jacqueline added. They couldn't attest for Red X or Kid Flash's piloting abilities but chances were the Jinx would be better than either of them.

"You know…judging by the lack of an external resonance, the temperature of the glass dome, and the extremely noisy take-off, I'm going to be bet that we're somewhere in space," Blackfire commented as she continued to narrow down where they might be going. It didn't make much sense to be making a high-orbital flight around Earth or they would've been done by now…so that meant they were heading somewhere else.

"Are we there yet?" Raven remarked dryly. "How long do you think it'll be before she puts two and two together?"

"We are almost there," Starfire reassured her friends. Her sister simply sighed impatiently; she didn't like being in the dark, especially when she was being dragged off to some random location. The ship rattled as it began re-entering an atmosphere, tipping Blackfire off that they were at their destination and hopefully they'd be landing soon – Blackfire preferred flying under her own control. She could feel the inertia of the ship slowing down and the sudden lurch indicated that they had landed. Since they still wouldn't let her take the blindfold off, Blackfire had to sit and wait for them to open her pod and help her out of the ship. She sensed a strange air of familiarity as her friends helped her down onto the solid earth.

"Okay it's not refreshingly warm and its not absolutely freezing so that rules out the first and last place in the universe I would've wanted to go…so it's somewhere in between on a very big list," Blackfire continued her commentary as she waited for somebody to let her know she could take the damn blindfold off.

"Alright dear sister, you may remove the blindfold."

"About time," she grumbled as she promptly pulled it off. The sight she saw was the last place she would've expected. "Oh my zaul…"

"Welcome back to Tamaran sister!"


	4. Chapter 3: Old Secrets

**Chapter Three: Old Secrets**

**"In all my years of knowing your sister, this has got to rank as one of the most insane ideas you have ever conceived. **It ranks right up there with that time you tried to breed a cerebian hound with a duntandr," Blackfire remarked irritably as she tried to fully grasp the consequences of setting foot on a planet she was banished from only a few years ago. Sure being banned was pretty annoying at the time but now that she had a home and friends on Earth she really didn't have any need to come back to this part of the galaxy, or at least that's what she felt.

"But sister I-"

"The next words out of your mouth have better be 'I already told Galfore about this', otherwise I'm heading back home myself." While any other person might've appreciated such a gesture, Blackfire was not amused by this predicament. If Galfore saw her right now there was a pretty good chance that he was going to go ballistic on her and maybe even Starfire. Her popularity with the Tamaranean general population was already pretty low when she left the first time, it'd be even lower now after forcibly taking over the throne, faking an invasion, and trying to marry off their 'beloved princess' in order to secure her position on the throne. If it weren't for the fact that Galfore raised the two sisters, there would've be a serious chance that Blackfire would simply be executed on sight.

"I have spoken with Galfore sister," Starfire explained once she had a chance to get a word in. "I have told him of the deeds you have done on Earth and how you are no longer the person you were years ago. He said he would allow you to return to Tamaran for this day…and if your behavior is good, he may undo the banishment that I had originally put in place."

"Listen…sis, you didn't need to do all this," the elder sister replied. "I don't need to go back to Tamaran anymore, I've got my friends on Earth now. It's the same reason why you abdicated the throne – Earth is your home now. It's mine too. Besides, Galfore's stubborn. He's not going to undo a ban…he's not going to think I've changed. Nobody is going to think I've changed. I say we just leave now before things get ugly."

"Oh don't tell me ze mighty Blackfire is afraid of coming home?"

"You wouldn't understand Jacq," Blackfire muttered.

"We understand enough," Raven said, stepping into the conversation much to Blackfire's surprise. "You wronged these people and you should make amends. If you can show your people that you have changed, they might stop treating you with such disdain and you can have a proper birthday celebration."

Before Blackfire could make a retort, the palace doors swung open and the five friends immediately turned about to face the approaching Tamaraneans. To their surprise, the towering Galfore was not among the group, which consisted of a number of a guards and a higher-ranked officer. The elder sister held her tongue and waited as the officer approached Starfire and bowed politely. "Welcome back to Tamaran Princess Starfire," the officer greeted.

"Might I ask where Galfore is?"

"The Grand Ruler is unfortunately dealing with some diplomatic matters. He requested that he meet with you and your…sister in his chambers as soon as you arrived."

"I have a name you know," Blackfire muttered bitterly.

The officer ignored Blackfire's remarks and continued on as if it never happened. "Your friends are free to make use of the palace as they wish. I hope you're...sibling will be on her best behavior when within the confines of the palace walls."

"Maybe if you stopped treating me like a criminal we won't have this problem…"

"You'll be under escort by these guards at all times within in the palace," the officer added with a dry smirk. Blackfire clearly wasn't amused by this treatment but there wasn't much she could do about it until she spoke with Galfore.

"That is acceptable," Starfire nodded as she motioned for her sister follow her. With four guards flanking her, Blackfire headed inside the palace shortly behind her sister. Starfire halted just as she reached the door and turned backed to the rest of her friends. "Jinx, could you come with us?"

"Um…sure. Why do you need me?"

"People may be more willing to listen if a less…biased testimony was given," Starfire explained, which was more than enough of a reason for Jinx to tag along.

"Guess it's just ze two of us now," Jacqueline commented, glancing over to Raven. "Don't suppose you know what Tamaraneans like to do for fun?"

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"Must you stand so close?" Blackfire complained as she waited outside the main chambers of the Grand Ruler with Jinx and the escort of armed guards. The guards were giving her very little room and that hard, cold, accusing stare that reminded her of a Centauri interrogation room. They didn't dignify her complaints with a response…sometimes she wondered if they ever spoke.

"What's with you and pissing off pretty much everyone you come across anyways?" Jinx remarked as she observed the guard's harsh stares. "Or is this just that Tamaranean stubbornness you kept telling me about."

"We know how to hold a grudge."

"I'll say. What'd you do anyways, kill the king?"

"I'm pretty sure they found a way to blame that on me too," she muttered bitterly as she leaned up against the wall. "To make a long story short, some enemies of ours decided to 'celebrate' my birth by attacking one of our major cities. People like having scapegoats and I got to be the lucky one to be blamed for it. The ruling council took away my birthrights and gave them to Starfire. So…then I ended up doing some not-so pleasant things in revenge."

"The whole taking over the throne and marriage thing I heard about?"

"Not one of my better plans I'll admit," Blackfire chuckled a little awkwardly. It was weird talking about her past crimes in such a casual sense, though perhaps it was because Jinx was a former criminal herself that it made it easier for her. "I probably should've just ignored my sister but I felt I needed to secure my position otherwise I would just have usurpers left, right, and center. As you can imagine, they didn't think I'd be a very good leader."

"Were you?"

"Didn't have the job long enough. It was a shame cause I had so many ideas to change things around here. I wanted to be a bit of a reformer…use all that experience I got from traveling around the galaxy to help make our people better. We make a lot of enemies…we're seen as a barbaric race and we don't garner the greatest of respect in the galaxy. The fact that we're a little xenophobic and headstrong doesn't help either. But…I guess our little planet is ready for change yet. Galfore would probably do a better job leading people than me…he's got the empathy and the warrior instinct needed to rule. Don't suppose we can change the subject now?"

"If it's any consolation, you do a great job leading the Argonauts," Jinx spoke, trying to cheer her friend up.

"That's cause you aren't idiots. Besides, it's not like I do very much…it's usually just making the decision when the rest of you guys can't agree on something." Jinx merely gave her friend a slightly puzzled look, which only piqued Blackfire's curiosity. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Just not used to hearing you sell yourself short like that," Jinx answered plainly. "So how much longer are we going to be waiting out here anyways?'

"Any moment now if Starfire remembers why she's here." A few moments later, the large ornate doors creaked open slowly and Starfire emerged from within. "So what did the big man say?"

"We, unfortunately, have not caught him at the best of times but he will hold true to his word and speak with you," Starfire explained. "He is, of course, uncertain if what I speak is the truth and he is likely reluctant to believe you."

"Remind me again how this is supposed to be a good thing for my birthday?" Blackfire remarked as she pushed past her sister.

"Because it is the right thing to do?"

"And since when has that been a concern of mine?"

"I would hope that it would be a concern now that you are no longer a criminal."

"Sister dear, just because I'm not fighting against you anymore doesn't mean I'm going to be some sort of moral compass like you. That's your calling card, mine is depraved indifference."

"I thought it was overzealous vigilantism," Jinx intruded.

"I'm pretty sure that's Robin."

"No he's more of obsessive vigilance."

"The gratuitous acts of senseless violence?" Starfire suggested.

"I would hardly call my violence senseless," Blackfire scoffed at the notion before she headed on her way inside. "Let's just settle on chaotic good heroine." Inside, Emperor Galfore was staring out an open window at the vast horizon in the distance. Jinx and Starfire followed shortly behind Blackfire but they waited by the door while she walked over to join Galfore by the window. In all honesty, Blackfire didn't know why she was bothering to go through all this effort. While she could understand her sister's desire for Blackfire to make amends with her home planet, Blackfire say no practical value out of it. Sure her sister would feel better and Blackfire could get various Tamaranean liquors without having to go through her sister anymore but the benefits would likely be outweighed by the copious amounts of frustration it would surely create.

"I've known you and your sister all your lives and yet you two still never cease to surprise this old man," Galfore commented as he glanced down to the young Tamaranean beside him. "The last time I saw you, I thought any chance of you and your sister having any semblance of a normal relationship was lost forever. Now here you are…trying to make amends for your sins."

"You know this was all Starfire's idea, right?" Blackfire asked, just making sure that they were both on the same page. "And apparently the others think it would be good for me to…bury the hatchet as they say on Earth."

"That does not surprise me," Galfore sighed softly. "All I ask is…are you actually sorry?"

"Well…um, sort of. I guess," Blackfire answered reluctantly. "I mean…it was a pretty stupid thing now that I think about it. Of course if I hadn't done those things you wouldn't be Emperor, I would probably still be causing trouble across the galaxy, and I wouldn't have the life I do now."

"Fate has a strange way of working out." There was no way of knowing how things could've turned out if Blackfire hadn't committed the acts she did, so both figured it was best if neither thought about it much. "Is what your sister told me true? Have you changed?"

Blackfire didn't give an answer at first…it was an answer that would change her life after all. It was not an answer to be taken lightly and she needed to make sure that her answer was true. "No…not really." It was a surprising to Jinx and Starfire but, even more surprisingly, Galfore wasn't. "Let's face it…people don't change overnight or even over a year or so. I'm still the same self-centered, violently tempered, stubborn, and rebellious woman I've always been. The only difference is that I've stopped holding grudges and started making something of my life."

"Is this all true?" Galfore asked, directing the question to Jinx and Starfire.

"The rebellious, violent, and stubborn parts? Very true," Jinx answered in a very blunt and honest manner. "But I wouldn't say she's very self-centered anymore. Sure she can still be rude, over-bearing, critical, sarcastic, apathetic, insulting, and…um, wait…I'm supposed to be saying something good aren't I?"

"That would be nice right about now," Blackfire sneered.

"Well…the point I was trying to make was that while she might not win a popularity contest, Blackfire has always be willing to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. She doesn't care what people think of her actions because she knows they're the right things to do…and every time there was something dangerous she would always be the first one to jump into the fray. Even now, the only reason that she's standing on this planet again, aside from the fact that we blindfolded her and took her here without her consent, is the fact that Starfire wants her to and she's willing to do it for that reason alone."

"You mean it is not because I would 'pester her day and night' as she said earlier?"

"Ixnay," Jinx whispered, elbowing Starfire quickly to silence her before she made things worse. The two quickly put on an innocent demeanor and hoped that Galfore didn't think too much on what Starfire just said.

"Listen Galfore…I might not be here for the right reasons but I am here nonetheless. If you want me to apologize then I'll do it. I don't honestly believe it'll make a lick of difference because you know deep down whether or not I am actually sorry. The people won't care…in fact they're probably happier knowing that I'm gone. The only person who's going to care is standing right over there so we don't need to make a spectacle of this."

"I think some…humility and a public display of sincerity might restore some of the people's confidence in you," Galfore answered, smirking ever so slightly.

"I got my ass kicked in front of them, not much more humility than that."

"You're probably thinking humiliation actually."

"Not helping Jinx," Blackfire snapped before returning to her calm demeanor while addressing Galfore. "You know, now that I think about it…maybe I should be the one that's owed an apology first."

The sudden change in the conversation surprised her friends and a subtle twitch of irritation was evident from Galfore. "An apology…to you?"

"That's right. Everything I did was payback over what so wrongly done to me! That council had no right to strip me of my birthright. This whole planet has treated me like a curse ever since I was born and then you act surprise that I got bitter about it and struck back at the hands that abused me so cruelly. You knew that it would happen; you even warned them that it would happen."

"What I was trying to tell them was that you'd appeal the decision. I said you would fight back but I did not mean in a literal sense!" Galfore's rising voice was beginning to worry Jinx and Starfire but both weren't sure whose side to join in this argument. "They were right though…seeing you grown up has only confirmed everything that they were concerned about. You would have not made a good Grand Ruler…it was better than you were spared the dishonour of a horrid legacy."

"Which beats the honour of being the only princess to be stripped of her birthrights in more than a millennium? My honour was destroyed from day one so don't give me any of that honour crap – you just didn't like me like everybody else! You put up with me cause Starfire still wanted me around."

"And you should've been more grateful to her as a result. Instead, you just did everything you could to make her life miserable, just like you are right now!"

"Back then, yes. Now – not a chance. I made her life miserable because she made mine even worse. You have any idea how degrading it is to be living in your little sister's shadow for your whole life? Why the hell do you think I got those Gordanians to take her prisoner?"

"You what?" Starfire suddenly shouted in disbelief.

"Oh…shit…" Blackfire immediately halted in dead in her tracks with a look of horrified realization upon her face. "I…never told you about that…did I?"

"News to me," Jinx muttered.

----------------------------------

"Do you zink Blackfire is really going to apologize to ze Grand Ruler and everyone?"

"Not likely. She might've forgiven Starfire but her people is another thing altogether," Raven answered. Jacqueline and Raven were lounging on a balcony overlooking the Tamaranean wilderness. The French heroine was sitting on the railing, casually strumming away on the chords of her guitar while Raven merely leaned next to her. Unfortunately after spending some time trying to find something 'fun' for Jacqueline to do, they both realized that the Tamaranean definition of 'fun' was a lot more painful than theirs. "Blackfire has a lot of pride – she won't apologize until she feels they deserve it."

"Any reason why you haven't told Starfire any of zis?"

"Starfire knows it as well, or at the very least she'll suspect it," Raven explained with her every-impressive display on insight on her friends. "But she'd rather take the risk than be left wondering what could've been. We'll probably be leaving in a few hours knowing Blackfire."

"Politeness is not one of Blackfire's strong suits," Jacqueline added with a soft sigh. "Zank goodness Jinx and Kid Flash handle all ze PR stuff or we'd be ze least favourite team on ze continent."

"Acting without caring what people think is one of her best and worst traits. It's like with Robin – she'll do whatever is necessary to get the job done. What you and your friends need to do is make sure that she's always focused on the right job."

"Zat's easy when ze right zing involves a lot of fighting...when it comes to menial little tasks it's a bit harder to keep her focused. Fortunately Kid Flash and I have no problem picking up ze slack."

"How long do you think it'll last though? How long to do you think it'll be before she realizes that joining Red X as a criminal would make her a formidable opponent. All it'll take is one more fight with you or Jinx or even Starfire and she could very easily go back to crime." It was one of the possibilities that Jacqueline had thought about before but tried not to think of her friend in such a negative light. Sure she could be a bit on the…unorthodox side but she felt that Blackfire was a good person deep down inside. Jacqueline didn't want to admit it but Raven had a very good point and Blackfire's dedication to the team was still questionable at best – a feature not desirable in a team leader. The random chords of music halted for a brief moment as Jacqueline searched for a response, though having little success.

"I suppose it's somezing none of us really want to zink about. Red X stays on the team because of Blackfire…and Blackfire continues to lead us because she feels a need to, plus Jinx tends to keep her in line. Zey're both reluctant heroes. I don't want to lose ze team…zis has been ze best year of my life."

"Really?"

"You should've seen ze look on my father's face when I told him zat I was working with ze Teen Titans," Jacqueline explained, her eyes beginning to light up at the fond memories of her visits back to her hometown in France. Unlike pretty much everyone else on her team and the Titans, Jacqueline kept a very close relationship with her father.

"Are you sure it's a wise idea to be keeping in touch with your father when you're making enemies almost on a weekly basis?"

"My father can take better care of himself than I can," Jacqueline shrugged off Raven's concerns. Most heroes kept their civilian lives and hero lives separate…but Jacqueline had no discretion between the two. For her, being a hero was her job and just another aspect of her day-to-day life.

"So…what was your father like?" The other Titans never talked much about their past lives and especially not their family. None of them had good family lives to discuss.

"My father…Jacque L'Armor ze Sixth. I'm the seventh Jack-of-All-Trades and ze first female. My father had ze title before me and his father before him. It's a huge family zing so once I was old enough my dad started training me. Every morning at ze crack of dawn till ze late hours of ze night. We went over everyzing…everyzing he knew I would need to know to do zis job. He…was hard and very tough on me but I never once zought zat what he was doing was nothing short of what was best for me. Wise, caring, and always doing ze right zing…"

"Does that include pretty much depriving their daughter of a childhood?" Raven remarked rhetorically.

"Everybody gives up somezing to be a hero," Jacqueline chuckled softly. "I have many years ahead of me so missing on a little bit of childhood is of little concern. Besides, I managed to keep ze one zing zat I wanted." Her hand patting the body of her guitar made it clear that her music was that one thing she was referring to. The music started up again with her fingers running along the chord so expertly like always. Just like before, the tunes she played were a slow and steady melody with a gentle undertone. It's primarily high notes and her quick plucks made the tune reminiscent to a harp's melody. "Do you play music Raven?"

"Never had the time or interest to learn."

"A shame. I believe everybody needs a creative outlet of some kind."

"Well…I write poetry from time to time."

"Ahh poetry…ze language of ze soul, or was zat Latin?"

"I'm pretty sure Latin was the language of the intellectuals."

"Maybe – I was never very good at Latin; now French, English, German, Arabic, Russian, and Mandarin yes…but not Latin for some reason. Guess I'll never get to be a judge."

"You'd never be able to sit still long enough to be a judge."

"Heh, good point," Jacqueline laughed, ceasing her music once again. "Mind if I ask a bit of a more personal question?"

"As long as you don't mind not necessarily getting a decent answer."

"Have you ever done or not done somezing zat you regretted? Somezing zat you could've handled ze way you wanted but couldn't because you're a hero?" The conversation had taken a surprisingly serious turn for the pair. Raven just stood there for a few moments, contemplating whether or not she would actually give a truthful or complete answer to her friend. Talking about herself was not one of those things that Raven did very well after all. Jacqueline at least had the benefit of being the closest friend Raven has from the Argonauts, though that might have something to do with Jacqueline being the most normal of the bunch. "Well, I suppose the only thing I've really regretted was not being able to do things normal teenagers enjoy because of who I am. It's hard to say…I've accepted who and what I am and aside from almost destroying the world, I wouldn't say I have a lot of regrets about being a hero."

"Guess I should be envious of zat," Jacqueline sighed lightly. "Sure I missed out on childhood and I can deal with zat but I know I'm going to miss out on a whole lot of zings because of zis job. You know how hard it is to date when you're a super hero?"

"Um…I'm not sure. I haven't really dated that much."

"Neither have I – I learned my lesson after ze first time. Like you said, I make enemies on a bi-weekly basis. My father can protect himself but few people are going to be like my father."

"Well are there any heroes you know that you might have luck with?"

"Oh…I don't know. I know lots of heroes, even more now zat I'm working alongside ze Titans but…I guess I have high standards."

"Don't worry about it. You're young, you've got a long time to juggle heroism and relationships." Jacqueline managed a weak smile to her friend's reassurances. Raven had a point as usual – there was still plenty of time ahead of her. "Maybe you should try asking out Beast Boy, you seem to get along with him rather well."

"He does make me laugh," Jacqueline remarked with a soft chuckle. The slight elation was short-lived though. "He's a good friend but he's not what I'm looking for in a serious relationship. Besides, laughter isn't everyzing…you make me laugh too chatton."

"Why must you call me that?"

"Cause it makes me laugh and I can see ze twinkle in your eye when I say it. Plus I like cats."

"Yeah well if you try to make me purr I'm going to have to do something very unpleasant to you."

"So long as it doesn't involve a hairball in my shoes I'm willing to take my chances." A brief and hearty round of laughter followed Jacqueline's jokes and even a very faint chuckle by Raven. Just as the conversation was starting to get interesting, something in the distance caught Raven's attention and then Jacqueline's immediately afterwards. Both quickly looked to a lower balcony on the palace where their hot-tempered Tamaranean was flying at top speed out and away from the palace.

"I'm guessing the reunion's over with," Raven commented as she and her friend prepared to find the others. It didn't take long as Jinx and Starfire emerged onto the lower balcony that Blackfire had vacated from moments ago.

"What ze hell just happened?" Jacqueline shouted to her friends down below. Rather than continue with a shouting match, Jacqueline and Raven promptly flew down to join their friends for an explanation to this turn of events. Upon landing, both noticed the visibly disturbed look on Starfire's face – an expression of sadness and betrayal that neither had really seen before.

"This is worse than I expected," Raven said to herself.

"So what did ze 'beloved' princess say to screw zings up now?"

"Well to make a long story short, it turns out our fearless leader sold her own sister out to the Citadel Empire and Gordanians about four years ago," Jinx explained.

"She also tried to marry her off, what's so different about this?" Raven inquired.

"The Citadel Empire and the Gordanians are big enemies of the Tamaraneans. When the Gordanians came to capture Starfire, they used Blackfire's information to break through the defenses and launch their attack – several people died in those attacks and as you can imagine, Starfire's a little shaken up by this revelation. Marrying off a princess is one thing but Blackfire betrayed her people to their greatest enemies…Galfore was about to have her executed for treason before she took off."

"Leave it to Blackfire to make things worse…" Jacqueline groaned in annoyance as they all looked out to the horizon. "Guess we should get her off ze planet before Galfore gets to her first."

"I will go find her," Starfire finally spoke up as she pushed past the others. She knew where Blackfire was going. This was a Tamaranean affair – she couldn't let her friends get involved.


	5. Chapter 4: A Farewell to Arms

**Chapter Four: A Farewell to Arms**

**"Going to be nice to have a game without Blackfire robbing us blind,"** Cyborg remarked as he started shuffling the cards with mechanized precision and speed. Robin, Kid Flash, Robin, and Beast Boy were gathered around a large, round, green table with stacks of coloured chips before each of them. It was poker night at the tower, which had recently replaced their older card games. Normally Blackfire joined their games as well but since the girls were still out on their trip, the guys had to settle with a four-person game for the evening.

"It'll be a nice change of pace. Too bad I couldn't find Red X…as usual," Kid Flash replied. "Blackfire leaves and the guy pretty much vanishes altogether." The rest of the table, who were all familiar with Red X's still persistent issues with dedication to his new team, understood kid Flash's sentiments. Any time Blackfire couldn't make it to a fight the other teammates knew right away that Red X was likely to be a no-show either. "Guy only uses the Argo to sleep in, never see him during the rest of the day, and he's always late to every single fight."

"What can you expect? He's just a selfish jerk…even if he's on the Argos it's only because of Blackfire. If those two break up one of them is going to go right back into crime…maybe even both," Cyborg answered while he started dealing out the cards. It was a fact that all of them knew but were too reluctant to bring up with Blackfire; it was partly from fear of Blackfire's temper and because of the tension it might put on that critical relationship. "If you ask me, you should have a contingency plan prepared just in case that weasel turns on you."

"Jinx would never agree to something like that – she'd considered it a betrayal of Blackfire's friendship."

"Or maybe cause you're just whipped," Robin chuckled.

"I am not whipped," Kid Flash insisted, though he simply got a few whipping noises from the other Titans in response. "Fine…I'm going to get all of you in your sleep."

"Not if I get you first in my sleep," Beast Boy retorted as he tried his hand at wit. The others simply gazed disdainfully.

"Do you practice not making sense or does it come naturally to you?" Cyborg quipped, eliciting a few chuckles from the others. "Now are we going to cluck like hens or are you going to play some cards?"

"Cluck cluck," quote the green rooster.

"What BB said," Robin added before he picked up his cards. His eyes narrowed as he viewed his hand, contemplating his possible moves and the potential of his cards. "I'll bet ten."

"So who thinks Starfire's ingenious plan to help her sister is going to blow up in her face?" Kid Flash said idly as Robin tossed the poker chips into the center. "I bet ten bucks that Blackfire makes things worse and gets at least one person trying to attack her. And…I fold." There were a few nods in agreement, though Robin was the only person who seemed confident that Blackfire would succeed.

"She can barely say 'please' at dinner, how'd she patch things up with an entire planet?" Beast Boy rhetorically remarked, tossing ten dollars worth of chips into the pile.

"You remember how dinner was when we visited that place." Cyborg's reminder quickly brought back the unpleasant memories with both Robin and Beast Boy. It was no surprise that Tamaraneans were tough people considering their dinners were harsher than most small-scale wars on Earth. "The fact that Starfire has table manners is a miracle."

"Imagine how weird it'd be if Blackfire was the one on that Gordanian ship instead," Robin commented.

"She probably would've punched you instead of kissed you."

"Probably wouldn't have made the Titans either," BB added. "Though now that I think about it, back then you and Starfire argued a lot like how you argue with Blackfire today."

"He's got a point. Who knows, maybe Blackfire could've wound up like Starfire," Kid Flash commented as he leaned back in his seat and watched the game progress. "Of course, then we wouldn't have both girls here and everything would've gone to hell when Kronos showed up. Why are we speculating on things that won't ever change?"

"Cause ever since I started my relationship with Starfire, they've run out of things to taunt me with," Robin coolly replied. "We could go back to talking about how whipped you are. Would you prefer that?"

"Speculate away." One by one, each of the remaining players started tossing in cards and placing new bets until Beast Boy eventually folded leaving Cyborg and Robin to compete. After a few extra rounds of ever-increasing wages, Cyborg was eventually beaten by Robin's straight. Though discouraged, Cyborg simply reshuffled the cards and started the next round – he knew he'd have better luck this time around.

"So has anybody noticed that Jacqueline acts a little differently around Raven?" Beast Boy commented as he picked up his cards. Since his originally discussion with Cyborg didn't yield any answers, he decided to go to the others in hopes of something more conclusive.

"Oh come on. Don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet?" Robin jived as a round of chuckles went around the table. Beast Boy felt like there was a conspiracy against him and whether there was actually anything except something to tease him about was entirely possible. The discouraged expression made it clear that he hadn't 'figured it out'. "Wow, he really hasn't."

"Our little French girl has got a bit of a thing for your bottle of sunshine," Kid Flash chuckled while tossing in some chips.

"But they're both girls," Beast Boy replied. Robin and the others simply smirked coyly and waited for the gears to churn inside the Titan's head and that revelation to occur.

"Oh! Ohhhhhh…wait, so Jacqueline is-"

"Yes."

"But Raven isn't-"

"We know."

"Then isn't Jacqueline going to-"

"Hopefully it won't be disastrous."

"Shouldn't we-"

This time it was Robin to interrupt, "It's not our business BB."

"So we're just going to let Jacqueline get blind-sided?"

"Jacqueline probably is expecting it already. She's just going to cling to her fantasy until she can come to terms with it. Raven will probably catch on and put an end to it and we all go back to our regular lives."  
"You think she'll figure it out?" Kid Flash asked.

"Raven is able to sense these sort of things," Robin explained calmly. "Besides, Jacqueline doesn't exactly make herself very discrete. Remember that time on St. Patrick's Day?"

"You mean that time Jacqueline got so drunk that she pulled off Raven's cloak and started dancing around in it?"

"I think I still have the video of that," Cyborg remarked with a chuckle. "Though I think Robin's referring more to how she got up in the middle of the night, stumbled through the tower, and eventually passed out onto Raven's bed…while Raven was still in it." Every nodded when they recalled the commotion that resulted from that incident the following morning. Looking back on the event, it seemed that Jacqueline's feelings had been present for quite some time. The Titans had been more comfortable just attributing the incident to the amount of alcohol at the time. It took a while for Raven to stop sleeping with her door locked after that night.

"I can't believe I never picked up on all this," Beast Boy remarked in disbelief. He looked between his cards and the large stack of blue, red, and yellow chips on the table as he pondered his next move. "Explains why she never gives a name to those past relationships she's had…or details of any kind. Well…I fold."

"You don't find too many people that are as open and yet shut-off as she is. She can show you everything you want to know and leave out everything you need to know," Robin replied as he tossed his cards down in forfeit. "But everybody has their secrets and it's not a surprise that hers are a little different from the usual person. Everything about her is unorthodox."

"We're heroes, we're required to have secrets," Kid Flash shrugged indifferently. Jacqueline's personal life, along with pretty much everyone else's, wasn't something that struck his interest. "So Cyborg, are the stakes starting to get to you?"

Cyborg smirked slyly as he slid a few piles of chips forward. "On the contrary Flash, I'm just getting started. You feeling lucky?"

"I don't need to feel lucky." Kid Flash applied raised the stakes some more, pushing the remainder of his chips into the center.

"You do realize I have more chips than you?" Cyborg remarked mockingly before pushing in all of his chips as well. Kid Flash was left in the difficult position of having to fill that monetary gap with something else.

"Well I wasn't really expecting you to do that but I guess I'll just have to improvise," Kid Flash promptly grabbed a scrap of paper and pen and jotted something down. "I will match you with the Argo's Gamestation 3."

"You have a Gamestation 3?!" Beast Boy shouted in disbelief. "I was in line for two days straight and I still didn't get one."

"I went to a store that operated on a first-come-first-serve basis. Needless to say, I was first," Kid Flash chuckled boastfully before putting the script onto the pile. "I think you'll find, Cyborg, that my wager puts me on top."

"I guess I'll just have to start improvising myself," Cyborg mused before reaching into one of his small storage compartments and pulled out a set of keys. "I'll raise you the T-car." Robin and Beast Boy were both shocked at the sight of the metallic keys landing upon the table.

"Jinx always had a thing for your car," Kid Flash pondered aloud while eyeing the set of the keys. "Very well then, I shall raise you the Argo's thorium reactor. I know you've always been interested in that piece of hardware."

"Doesn't the Argo need that thing to operate?" Robin questioned, uncertain how to take such an extreme bet. The T-car was Cyborg's property to gamble but the team, not Kid Flash alone, owned the Argo. Of course, the reactor core was designed to provide power to a weapon that was no longer part of the Argo, thus the reactor was more than was needed.

"I'm sure Cyborg would be willing to whip something smaller up for the Argo as compensation," Kid Flash explained, which was immediately confirmed by a quick nod from Cyborg. The stakes had risen to a tremendous level and both contenders remained silent as they gazed at one another, assessing the person's integrity honesty. Was the other bluffing or was their hand actually better? Robin and Beast Boy, though no longer a part of the match, weren't about to miss this final round between the two. "Now Cyborg's gonna need something pretty substantial just to match me."

"Then I'll wager…Beast Boy."

"Beast Boy?"

"Me?"

It was to be expected that Robin and Beast Boy would be surprised and likely in objection to this wager. "You're betting your friend? I'm…a little surprised but I guess I can accept it."

"Heh, so I'm worth a thorium reactor. That's um…good, right?" The knowledge might've provided more comfort if he knew exactly what this kind of reactor was. All he knew was that it was probably big and very scientific…the kind of scientific that used really, really big words. Though both he and Robin had their skepticism towards this, it was unlikely that Cyborg was acting without sound reasoning. Their trust in Cyborg was enough to silence their objections. "I hope you know what you're doing…"

"Trust me BB," Cyborg whispered confidently. "And Kid Flash knows your worth more than a reactor, so he needs to match or fold."

"Well you know I won't be folding," Kid Flash replied. It would take time to conceive of a better wager, which left Robin and Beast Boy in suspense.

The suspense was going to have to wait though as the computer's alarms began to sound. The red flashing lights caught all of their attentions they dropped everything they were doing. The card game would likely be postponed. Robin, always the hero-first, human-second, was the first to get to the computer and respond to the sounding alarm. "What's all the commotion?" Cyborg asked.

"Distress call from the Titans East – it's audio only," Robin said after a few quick keystrokes.

It was unusual for them to receive a distress call from the other Titans team. The Titans East was an exceptionally competent team and had rarely, if ever, called for assistance against a villain, let alone a full-blown distress call. The short, degraded message flooded the speakers and brought a grim air to the room. "This is Aqualad calling anybody who can hear this, we're under attack and need back-up quickly!" It lasted no longer than five seconds before cutting out, leaving only dead air behind.

"That doesn't sound good…" Cyborg muttered.

The message wasn't over though. Seconds later the dead air cut out and a second, unique voice echoed through the chamber. "Better hurry Titans…you're friends won't last very long…" a cruel, feminine voice added to the message before the communication went dead completely.

"Never heard a voice like that before," Kid Flash remarked once the lingering silence was too tense.

"Didn't sound very human..." Cyborg added.

"You can tell? Sounded human to me."

"Sounded…synthesized. Though that might just be because of the degradation of the signal."

"We can speculate about voices later," Robin cut in and doing his usual 'leader' thing. "Kid Flash and I will head east to investigate. Hopefully we'll get there in time."

"Why just you two? Shouldn't we all go?" Beast Boy promptly nodded to agree with Cyborg's concerns.

"Normally I'd agree but…that message at the end sounded too suspicious. It's too far away for just a trap…I need you two to stay here and keep an eye on the city." Robin's explanations were enough for the other Titans. Though Cyborg had a more personal connection to the Titans East, Robin felt it'd be better if he remained in Jump City in case something did happen while they were out.

"I'll be there before you can ever start your bike," Kid Flash bragged. "If I need more back-up I'll give you guys a shout." With a quick wave, the speedster super hero raced off and was probably halfway to Steel City before Robin had a chance to say good-bye. Cyborg sighed lightly, worried about his friends and wishing he could do something to help…but Robin had a point. He would've reached the same conclusion – whoever attacked the Titans East wanted the Titans all the way in Steel City. All Cyborg and Beast Boy could do was sit and wait if anything happened.

"Might as well watch some TV while we wait," Cyborg muttered as he headed over and sat on the couch. Beast Boy crept over to the poker table and deftly peeked at Cyborg's hand…just out of curiosity since the game was unlikely to ever continue.

"A pair of sixes?" Beast Boy shouted. "You bet me on a pair of sixes?"

"Kid Flash was bluffing so quit complaining," Cyborg answered. Beast Boy paused for a moment and then, for the same reasons as before, took a quick peek at Kid Flash's hand. Sure enough, Kid Flash didn't even have anything of worth in his hand. Cyborg would've won had the match continued…too bad for the alarm.

"You still bet me on a lousy hand!" Beast Boy remarked, still not convinced by Cyborg's reassurances. "Were you going to be Robin if Kid Flash kept raising the stakes."

"Starfire would put me into a scrap yard if I bet Robin."

"Oh, so cause I don't have a girlfriend that can lift buses I'm suddenly expendable."

"Come on BB, it's just a game," Cyborg explained, trying to keep a handle on the situation. "You know I wouldn't actually let you go to another team over a game of poker." Unfortunately it was going to take a lot more than just a few choice words to convince Beast Boy that no disrespect was meant by the wager or his subsequent explanations.

----------------------------------

Unbeknownst to the two Titans, a fair distance away, standing alone the shoreline of the Jump City bay, a lone female figure stood and watched the glowing building in the distance. The moon was beginning to rise higher in the sky, casting a gentle luminescence over the water and the cityscape. While Cyborg and Beast Boy hadn't heard a word from their friends in quite a while, they remained confident that things were under control…or they just hadn't noticed because Cyborg was still trying to apologize for betting Beast Boy in the poker game.

"Feels like it's been an eternity since I stood here," the young girl mused softly to herself and drew back the hood of her cloak. The long strands of golden blond hair draped down her shoulders now, revealing the youth and beautiful face of the Titan ally once known as Atalanta. Now, though, she went by the name of Athena and she was no longer the sweet, bashful teenager-like robot that the Titans remember her as. "I wonder if he still remembers me. Oh how many nights did you lay awake in puzzlement of my fate? When did you finally give up those last bastions of hope that you might one day return to how things were? Oh if only you knew how much it pained me to leave you…of course no where near as much pain as what I have in store for you my dear Cyborg."

"General," a voice announced its arrival as a pair of figures landed behind Athena. The first was the archer robot that had fought against Speedy and his accompaniment was the female robot that had disposed of Aqualad. Both figures were wrapped in a simple cloak to mask their features and both immediately marched over to flank their general.

"I was beginning to think you'd never arrive and that I'd have to start the fun without you," Athena answered without even glancing back to them.

"We hurried as fast as we could," the male machination answered. "Is everything in place?"

"Kid Flash and Robin left quite some time ago. By now Aries and Hermes would've sprung their little trap on them," Athena answered. "And since they can't get a signal back to their friends, Cyborg will remain completely oblivious to the danger. If you two would care to do the honours."

"As you command," the male spoke with a polite bow. With one sweep of his arm, the cloak parted to reveal the silvery, metallic armour plating of the mechanical archer. The two halves of his bow were promptly assembled and powered up. On Athena's other side, the feminine robot pulled out a small device that promptly unfolded into a similar energy-strung bow, though much smaller than her male counter-part. "Just try to keep up dear sister," he jived, drawing back on the bowstring and forming an arrow in place. His small dome eyepatch-like device opened up a trio of telescopic lenses emerged. Each lens was a different size and they rotated until the largest of the lenses was on top. "Acquiring target…"

As the first archer drew back further on his arrow and tilted the bow upwards, the female counter-part began to follow suit. Lacking the advance targeting systems that her counter-part had, she simply followed his lead and targeted the same coordinates as he was. "Coordinates locked."

"Then you two may fire when ready…"

Back inside the Titans Tower, Cyborg's attempts to reconcile with Beast Boy weren't have the best of luck. For the most part, Beast Boy was intentionally being stubborn just to watch Cyborg's floundering attempts. "Come on Beast Boy, I said I'm sorry. I wasn't actually going to go through with that bet," Cyborg pleaded, standing by the television at this point.

"I don't believe you," Beast Boy pouted mockingly.

"If I'm lying then may god strike me down where I stand!" Just after those words left the air, a single bolt of energy pierced the glass behind Cyborg. It might've gone unnoticed had it not been for the fact that after piercing through the glass the arrow lodged right into Cyborg's leg. Cyborg and Beast Boy stared at the arrow lodged in the robotic leg, before Cyborg promptly turned to face the glass and shouted, "Ha! You missed!" While the first might not have been a very damaging blow, only a few seconds passed before a second arrow came streaking through the sky towards the tower. "Oh my…"

Screaming in panic, the two Titans fled for cover, jumping behind the couch as the number of arrows punching through the glass steadily increased. One by one, the glass panes shattered from the volley of arrows and the couch slowly transformed into an oversized pincushion.

Back outside, the two archers were maintaining the steady barrage of arrows from their extreme distance. The male paused for a moment, steadying his aim and drawing back on the bowstring to generate a red arrow this time, as opposed to the usual blue-white ones. The specialized lenses focused on the living room window before he let the special arrow fly. It arced through the air like all the others before it but instead of lodging into the couch, the arrow detonated upon impact, reducing the furniture to splinters and fluff and sending the two Titans hurtling across the room.

"Somehow I don't think this is exactly what Robin expected," Cyborg remarked as it became a little more apparent that the intentions of their adversaries were to divide the Titans rather than lure them all away from Jump City.

"Less talking, more running!" Beast Boy pointed out as a second wave of arrows began their approach on the tower. They panicked as they ran for new cover, though both were now far too exposed. Beast Boy yelped in distress as arrows began landing inches away from his face and body, causing him to continually change directions. Catching the sight of an arrow on a collision course, Beast Boy reacted quickly by shifting into a small bird, pulling his body out of the missile's path. The following arrow, however, was far more accurate and clipped the green Titan right in the wing and pinning him to the wall. Though the air punched through only folds of skin on the wing, shifting back to his human form might put that arrow through something with a bit more flesh. As a result, he was forced to remain in the avian form less her risk more pain and injury.

"BB!" Cyborg shouted when he noticed his friend's predicament but his efforts to help him were forcefully postponed by another exploding arrow. The Titan was thrown face-first into the ground and though he expected more arrows to follow the room fell silent immediately. The only sounds were that of crunch glass beneath somebody's feet. Quickly rising to face their intruder, Cyborg was stunned by the sight of the female android. "Atalanta!"

"So you haven't forgotten me…I'm touch," she mused whimsically in response. Her once skin-tight body armour was replaced with a much more thicker body suit, complete with heavy armour plates and image of a mythological gorgon head upon her chest plate. The wicked grin across her face made it clear that she wasn't here for a friendly visit. "I warned you the Legion wasn't finished…and now we've come back to finish what we started."

"Since when could you fire arrows like that?"

"Oh, that wasn't me. You see in the past year I've been making sure that my new offensive will not be a failure – I've brought my family along too." Just as Athena finished her sentence, the two assailants that assisted her flew in through the broken windows and landed on either side of her.

The male machina gripped the edge of the brim along his head like a hat and tipped his head forward in a polite bow. "A pleasure to meet you Cyborg. I am Apollo – god of archery."

"And this is Apollo's twin sister, Artemis – the goddess of the hunt." The other female machine bowed, letting her light red armour shimmer in the living room lights. The metal chains of her cape clattered softly upon the floor as she bowed.

"You're friends will be meeting some more members of my family in Steel City."

"Why are you doing this Atalanta?"

"Are you still calling me that?" Athena remarked. "My name is Athena and if you haven't guessed by now my family and I are here to cause you Titans unimaginable torment…and a bunch of other things I won't be telling you about because I want to watch you and your friends scramble about to try and figure it all out before its too late. I don't think I need to tell you that it won't be very pleasant and it'll involve a lot of really cool explosions."

"I won't let you do that!" Cyborg shouted angrily and quickly rose to his feet. Though conflicted with emotions, this wasn't the first time he had to fight her and he realized now that it likely wouldn't be the last time. "I beat you once and I can beat you again."

"Oh how wrong you are Cyborg," Athena grinned as panels opened on the back of both her hands, creating two large blades of blue energy. "As you can see, I've gotten upgrades."

As she sprang forward, her titanium wings unfolded from her back and wrapped around her body, shielding Cyborg's initial blasts from his sonic cannon. Piercing through the smoke, she landed before Cyborg and slammed her wings against him to throw him off-guard. Both blades danced effortlessly as they cleaved through his armour platting, taking off his lead arm, leaving huge gashes across his body, and crippling him with a low strike through both legs.

Beast Boy, still pinned to the wall, couldn't sit back and watch his friend get butchered. Forgoing any risk, Beast Boy shifted into a larger wolf form, freeing himself from the energy bolt and allowing him to charge towards the robotic trio. No sooner had he leapt off the ground, though, did Apollo expertly unleash an arrow, striking him down in one fell swoop.

"Nice shot brother," Artemis commented as the twins turned back to Cyborg.

"Would've shot him sooner but I thought you were going to have that fun," Apollo replied.

Shutting her weapons down, Athena knelt crouched beside Cyborg's battered figure, smiling whimsically as always. "Told ya."

"You…won't get away with this…" Cyborg grunted as he propped himself up with his one good arm. He had been in worse situations and pulled through, though his encounter with Brother Blood was not something he felt he could pull off again.

"Only the gods would know for certain," she chuckled mockingly. She ran her fingertips along his jawline, staring at his one human eye almost longingly. "We could've been so good together. Too bad you're half-human. Well, you have a very lovely eye for a human…I think I'll keep it."

As she stood up, her right forearm opened up, expanding outwards into a large cannon not too unlike Cyborg's sonic cannon, though much, much more dangerous in appearance. Now it was Artemis' turn to crouch down next to the Titan, fulfilling at her sister's hinted command. Pulling out a large dagger, she grabbed hold of his head with her free hand and tilted it back with a firm grip.

"Good-bye Victor Stone."


	6. Chapter 5: Titans in Distress

**Chapter Five: Titans in Distress**

**"How are they holding up?"** Kid Flash inquired as Robin exited the East Titans Tower's medical room. The depressed shoulders, hung head, and heavy footsteps weren't positive indicators and Robin's concerned expression just made it worse. "Tell me they're going to be okay."

"They'll live…aside from Speedy most of them are going to be on a very long road to recovery," Robin reluctantly explained before leaning against a nearby wall. "Did you have any luck on your end?"

"Computers are completely scrambled…Cyborg's going to have to reinstall everything when we tell him about this," Kid Flash reported as the two headed back towards the main living room of the Titans East Tower. It was no more than a few hours ago that Robin and Kid Flash arrived at the base of the Teen Titans East only to find their friends strewed across the room like war trophies. It was almost enough to make a man sick to their stomach. While Robin had spent most of his time tending to his wounded companions, Kid Flash scoured the Tower for any clues that might help them figure out who was behind this. Aside from busted security systems, a scrambled computer mainframe, and sparse signs of struggles, there was little that could help the Titans out. Nonetheless, Robin and Kid Flash returned to the living room for another thorough combing.

"Whoever did this certainly did their homework…"

"And left this all for us to find," Robin added darkly, walking over to one of the couches. Its once soft cushions were now stained red with blood – a grim reminder of the harsh reality to those in his profession. "Something doesn't add up. They couldn't have all been attacked here…so who gathered them all up? More importantly, why are they still alive?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Kid Flash remarked.

"It's good…but it doesn't make sense. Whoever did this willingly chose to let the Titans East live. What purpose does sparing them have?"

"Well if I were a villain, the only reason I'd leave maimed heroes lying about is to force somebody else to waste time taking care of them," Kid Flash answered, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he analyzed the situation. "You've done work for the dark side before, what does this all suggest?"

"Does everybody know about that now?" Robin groaned. "It means this is a diversion and we've been forced to waste hours to make sure our friends don't die." Robin at least a bit thankful that he thought ahead and left Beast Boy and Cyborg back in Jump City in order to ensure nothing terrible happened in his absence. There hadn't been any calls from Jump City so he and Kid Flash naturally assumed it meant there wasn't any trouble…but just to be on the safe side Robin decided to give his friends a call.

However, instead of a Cyborg answering, or even the voice mail at the very least, Robin received an automated, worrying message. "Sorry but the number you have dialed is currently not in service. Please check your number and dial again." Now Cyborg's phone was built right into his arm and it wouldn't be having problems unless there was something wrong with the unit itself. Though he didn't want to jump to conclusions, Robin quickly called Beast Boy's communicator instead and hoped that Cyborg was just having minor technical difficulties. Unfortunately, there was no answer from Beast Boy's line either. Now Robin was worried.

"I've seen that expression twice before and neither time was it good," Kid Flash remarked after observing Robin's growing anger.

"We've been had," Robin growled. "Something's happened back in Jump City."

"I'll check it out."

"And be quick about it." Kid Flash gave a curt nod before racing out of the tower, leaving Robin only sighing lightly to himself. He knew something like this would happen but Robin knew he also couldn't have left his friends to die. Whoever was behind this had just played Robin like a stringed instrument and he got the dreadful suspicion that he had just sent Kid Flash right into a trap. Robin was left to do the one thing he hated to do – wait. The seconds always seemed to drag on when Robin was impatient and while for most people he'd have to wait hours, he knew Kid Flash should be able to get this job done in under a minute. "He should've called by now," Robin muttered as he checked the time. "Nothing's going right today…"

Just as Robin was about to send a call to Kid Flash, a bolt of energy suddenly blasted the communicator right out of his hand. He wish this could've come as more of a surprise but he had been secretly wondering how long it'd be until he got ambushed. It felt like he was overdue for one. Standing on the far side of the room was a large, mechanical warrior with a large pistol aimed at the young hero. With its tall stature, smooth, round, golden armour plates, and a pair of glowing red eyes fixed on Robin, Robin recognized the robotic figure. With the exception of being slightly larger and more streamlined, and having only two instead of five, it definitely was a hoplite of the Legion.

"So you've decided to show yourself again," Robin growled as the machine holstered its pistol. "And who are you? If you have a name."

"I am Spartan Captain Unit Alpha-One," the machine introduced itself as Robin heard more footsteps from around him. Out of the corridors and shadows emerged three other machines, similar to the Captain except that their armour was silver and white instead of gold. All three had a large, round shield mounted on their left arm, two carried a hefty spear, and the third had its right arm converted into a cannon not unlike Cyborg's sonic cannon. Considering the Titan's history with the Legion, Robin wouldn't have been surprised if the Legion had used Cyborg's design to improve their old hoplites.

"So is this the point where you try to kill me?"

"No, we're just under orders to contain you here for now," the Spartan Captain answered.

"Well I have no interest in staying," Robin answered slyly. Since both sides were well aware of how the other operated, Robin held his position while the two spear-armed Spartans slowly edged towards him. "Spears? Don't most villains get bigger guns? You seem to be taking a step backwards for a high-tech army."

"Our previous encounters have motivated us to reconsider our military doctrines. Do not worry though, our guns have quite a fair more 'bang' than before."

"At least you guys learn from your mistakes," Robin muttered. "Can I at least sit down?"

"You can sit on the floor if you wish but you're not moving from your spot."

Robin realized that the presence of the Legionnaires here meant that whatever happened in Jump City was also committed by the Legion…and that Kid Flash's unexplained absence was also related to the Legion's interference. The Legion had a strong understanding of the Teen Titans and their methodology thanks to their past encounter.

"I assume you'll be trying to stop Kid Flash as well?"

"Try? I assure you we already have."

"Like you'd have anybody who could catch him."

"If we didn't, you think he wouldn't have returned by now?"

The Spartan Captain had a point, which meant that Robin couldn't sit around and wait. Subtly, Robin glanced from one Spartan soldier to the next, mentally formulating a plan of attack. The two Spartans with spears stood slightly ahead of him and to the side while the Spartan with a gun trained on him stood several meters behind him. Mentally working through his plan, he would stun the first Spartan with an explosive disc, and then he would grab the rushing Spartan and knock him into the path of the likely blast from the third Spartan. A well aimed bird-a-rang would be able to take out the third Spartan's cannon before it can fire a second shot. Robin figured he'd have about five seconds to take out the first Spartan before the third Spartan closed in to attack. The third Spartan wouldn't be a problem, in theory, as Robin expected to have the first Spartan's spear by then. The plan was feasible, very much within his capacity, and the Spartans, from Robin's experience, shouldn't be skilled enough to stop him.

Robin sprung into action and threw the explosive disc but the Spartan he threw it at was able to deflect it harmlessly away with its shield. As the second Spartan charged as predicted, Robin leapt towards it, grabbed hold of it by the neck, and flipped over to slam both metal-plated boots into the Spartan's back. It staggered forward, right into the path of the oncoming blast of energy from Spartan number three. Instead of being hit by the beam, though, boosters in its feet aided by the Legion's trademark anti-gravity emitters on its back propelled the Spartan into the air and out of harm's way. Robin's third step in his plan, the precision bird-a-rang, was looking to be right on target but at the very last second the Spartan leaned back and the projectile just barely skimmed across its armoured surface.

"That…wasn't supposed to happen," Robin muttered in bewilderment. He could accept maybe one of his attacks not yielding the results he wanted but all three was just…unexpected. Robin would've spent a few more seconds wondering what went wrong but one of the Spartans rammed him with its shield, bowling the young Titan over. Having a forty-pound metal shield slamming into his chest left him completely dazed and when his senses came to, Robin found himself pinned beneath a Spartan's foot with a spear just inches from his throat.

"Quite impressive but you're forgetting about one little thing," a new, malicious voice spoke up, accompanied by heavy footsteps. "We machines remember our mistakes a lot better than you fleshlings." When Robin looked to the voice, he saw the hulking figure that had just addressed him. This new machine was much larger than the Spartans, its chassis covered with black and blood red armour plates and multiple cannons and weapon pods mounted on its shoulders and upper back. Its entire left forearm appeared to have been replaced with a large energy cannon, which instilled a chilling feeling even more so than the trio of horns that decorated its headgear. "I will take things from here, you may return to base."

With a wave of its hand, the four Spartans left, leaving Robin alone with the giant mechanical warrior. It lifted its visor, revealing the robotic humanoid face beneath with its piercing red eyes that reflected an evil Robin had not seen in many years.

"Who are you?"

"My name Ares, god of war and a general of the Legion."

"With that much hardware, I never would've guessed," Robin sarcastically replied, trying to get back to his feet. The second he moved an inch Ares aimed that hefty arm cannon of his at Robin in a not-so-subtle way of telling him to stay down.

"So you attacked the Titans East just to bring me out here?"

"Don't flatter yourself so much. We just needed to divide your forces – you Titans are strong together…but not so much when you are separated. I was sort of hoping Cyborg would be here but Athena was quite confident you would leave him behind because of his connections with the Titans East."

"Your 'Athena' seems to know me pretty well," Robin replied, especially since Ares named one of the major reasons Robin ordered Cyborg to remain in Jump City. "When do I get the pleasure of meeting her?"

"You know her by another name – she shot you in the back, remember?" There was no doubt that Ares was referring to Atalanta. "We also knew you'd eventually pick up on the ploy so we took the appropriate measures to make sure you and your friend remain separated from those in Jump City."

"Whatever it is you're up to, I won't let you get away with it."

"You make me chuckle little man. While I will enjoy your attempts to stop us, you'll find your hands will be full with your own problems."

"Our own problems?" Normally Robin wouldn't give a second though to such a veiled threat but the malicious emphasis that Ares put onto those words worried him.

"When you invoke the wrath of the Legion, be prepared to pay for it in blood!" Ares growled menacingly. "You might be strong but can you protect everything important to you? Can your friends? Don't forget that when we copied your cognitive layout for your robot replicas we helped ourselves to everything else…Dick." Robin's jaw dropped to the ground at the realization of the gross implications of the information the Legion now possessed. The information might be more than a year out of date but it contained enough information to have a finger on the pulse of their entire thought process. If they had enough computing power at their disposal, the Legion could predict every action of the Teen Titans. Robin could've explored the entire realm of possibilities but Ares had enough of the conversation and clunked the Titan over the head. Robin collapsed like a wet rag without so much as a grunt or groan of pain from the blow.

"Until next we meet," Ares mused as he strolled on his way out. "This is Ares calling Erebus – target has been put to rest."

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"And be quick about it," Robin added before Kid Flash raced out the door. Quick was an understatement of course since Kid Flash could check in on his fellow Heroes and report back to Robin before he even realized Kid Flash was gone. He was a little concerned about his friends back in Jump City but he was fairly confident that he would just find Cyborg and Beast Boy sitting comfortably in the living room with the only problem being a bad communication system. Skimming over the water of a lake, Kid Flash felt the strange sensation that he was being watched. Perhaps if he weren't so certain that watching him, let alone following, would be next to impossible for any person he might've given more thought to the possibility of an ambush. Kid Flash would regret ignoring his gut instincts when something blindsided him. The unexpected blow from the side knocked him off his feet, sending him bouncing across the lake's surface before finally coming to a halt in the shallow waters.

"Anyone get the license of that truck?" Kid Flash groaned, wiping some mud off his face.

"It was H-E-R-M-E-S, though I'm certain a truck has a few tonnes over me." Kid Flash looked up from his reflection in the water to see the lanky, black mechanical figure before him. It was the same speedster that attacked Mas and Menos only the day before and while it lacked the facial features to do so, Kid Flash had a feeling that this machine was grinning manically at the befallen hero.

"Hm…now where have I met an arrogant, high-tech robot before?" Kid Flash sarcastically remarked as he hopped to his feet. It didn't take him very long to figure out that the Legion was making a return. "So you're the unlucky son of a cog that's going to try and take me down, huh? Mind if I call you cone-face?"

"Cone-face? Heh, that's a good one. I would prefer Hermes if you don't mind."

"You had to have been pretty fast to have hit me like that…it's been a while since I've had an actual challenge."

"I hope you can provide more amusement than those speedy little brats."

"Just try to keep up," Kid Flash smirked, before charging forth and plowing through Hermes. The mechanical sprinter easily landed on its feet and raced off after Kid Flash. The young hero didn't even make it across the lake, again, when Hermes flew in from above and smashed full-speed into the water just before Kid Flash. The resultant blast of water catapulted the hero into the nearby forest. Fortunately for him, his fall was dramatically reduced when he landed in the upper branches of a hefty tree, though hitting a tree trunk was still excruciatingly painful.

"Huh…he kept up pretty good…" Kid Flash groaned as he hung limply from one of the branches.

"Timber!"

"Uh-oh…" The unmistakable sound of shatter wood echoed through the forest before the whole tree came crashing down with the hero still caught within its branches. Pinned beneath the tree's massive trunk, Kid Flash struggled to free his leg from under it. The tree was promptly lifted up, followed by the hero being plucked from the ground.

"Surely the world's fastest kid can do better than this," Hermes mused as he kept the hero's feet off the ground.

"I just need to get my feet on something solid," Kid Flash retorted before lifting both legs up. He began kicking against Hermes' chest as fast as he could, rattling the Legionnaire enough to loosen its grip and allow the hero to spring free. Once both feet were firmly on the ground, Kid Flash took off again, making sure to take the route around the lake for a change. Having to decide quickly, Kid Flash weighed the risk of returning to Robin to report this attack or continue on back to Jump City as per his original mission. In a split-second decision, Kid Flash continued westbound to Jump City. It didn't take very long for Hermes to catch-up, however, and much to Kid Flash's surprise. It wasn't every day that he ran into somebody that could keep pace with him, let alone something that wasn't even alive.

Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed the glowing ball of energy that was building up at the apex of the machine's coned face. It didn't take a genius to figure out that glowing balls of energy typically meant something electrical. Quickly moving from wilderness to urban streets, Kid Flash began weaving through traffic with Hermes trailing behind, randomly firing electrical bolts. With both target and attacker dodging downtown traffic, it made it easier for Kid Flash to avoid being struck down. After seven or eight blasts at more regular intervals, Kid Flash noticed that the attacks had suddenly stopped. A quick glance showed that Hermes wasn't even following anymore, which struck Kid Flash as awry.

"Okay…where he'd go?" he muttered to himself.

Patience, of course, revealed all answers. The black metallic Hermes dropped in from above, slamming fist-first into the asphalt intersection and unleashing a powerful, electrical shockwave. Kid Flash was only a few feet from the epicenter and the dense electrical field launched him into a nearby parked car with tremendous force. As the smoke settled, Hermes was still at the center of the blast, his fist embedded into the asphalt along with four talon-like extensions from his forearm also dug into the ground.

"Do you always just drop in like that?" Kid Flash grunted as he picked himself up.

"It's my shtick," Hermes remarked, pulling his arm free from the road and allowing the talons to retract return to their compartments. "You should always expect the unexpected when you deal with Hermes." The two fighters squared off in the middle of the intersection while nearby pedestrians began to evacuate the scene of what could be an intense battle.

"Well you're not the only one with tricks up his sleeve." Kid Flash promptly ran to the opposite side of the car he had been slammed into and by whipping a strong vortex with his arm, he launched the car towards Hermes. However, the car simply slammed into the road and skidded across the asphalt without a sign of having hit anything at all – there wasn't even a trace of Hermes where it once stood.

"Not good…"

'Not good' was an understatement, of course, as Hermes, who was right behind Kid Flash now, grabbed the hero by the neck and hurled him into the brick wall behind them. It was only because of its lithe frame that Kid Flash was smashed against and not through the wall, though that was a moot fact at this point. Using the wall to his advantage, Kid Flash quickly phased through the brick wall and re-emerged after passing through a foot and a half of brick and concrete.

"That should buy me a few seconds," Kid Flash sighed in relief as he backed away from the wall and turned to make his escape. Alas, he over-estimated how delayed Hermes would be…in fact, there appeared to be no delay as Hermes was standing right behind him. "Holy-!" The sight of the robotic villain startled Kid Flash to the point where he forgot he had just phased through a wall and when he tried to turn about and run, he just slammed straight into the wall again.

Back on the streets, police were just beginning to gather at the scene of the incident. All seemed quiet until the brick wall blew apart in a violent eruption of electricity and debris. Through the smoke, the red and yellow figure of Kid Flash could be seen being thrown from the explosion, eventually crashing into a nearby police car.

"Hermes reporting in – target status is unknown but the police have arrived on the scene. Please advise," Hermes said as took a few steps back to hide in the smoke and dust of the damaged building.

"Return to base. You've done enough for one night. Did you have fun?"

"Quite. Make sure that I'm a part of every operation against him in the future."

"I'll request Athena to make him your personal priority."

"Thank you Hephaestus."

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"Ughh…my head."

"Hey look, the boy scout's awake," a faint and familiar voice echoed through the haze. Slowly but surely, the young hero's vision began to clear up until he realized that he was lying on a medical bed.

"Wha…what happened?" Robin groaned as he sat up, noticing Red X standing right next to his bed. "And when did I get back to the Tower?"

"Kid Flash found you taking a nap at the Titans East place. You can figure the rest from there," Red X continued to explain before heading off in no direction in particular. Robin realized that Kid Flash must've brought him back to Jump City after finding him…though he was curious as to why he had been left behind unconscious and defenseless. More importantly – what had he missed while he was unconscious?

"Where's Kid Flash?"

"Babysitting the Titans East…you might want to talk to Beast Boy. He's got something kind of important to tell you. He's in the next room over." Like always, Red X didn't stay around to talk to Robin. His job had been to send Robin in the right direction once he woke up so now he was off to go back to his life. Robin wasn't bothered by Red X's usual display of apathy and instead hurried on his way to find Beast Boy. However, it was Beast Boy that found Robin first as the two almost bumped into each other as Robin left. With one arm in a sling and hutched over to one side slightly, Beast Boy looked like he had seen much better days. However, it wasn't the physical injuries that worried Robin…it was that near traumatized look in his eyes. It only took an instant of looking into his emerald eyes to fear the worst.

"Where's Cyborg?" Robin muttered cautiously.

"Th-they've c-come back…" Beast Boy stuttered anxiously.

"The Legion? I know." Robin was a little anxious himself so he insisted on an answer more firmly. "Now where's Cyborg?"

Beast Boy didn't say anything, which only worried Robin further, and merely motioned for him to follow. Robin was led into the neighboring room, which had been reserved in the past for the major medical emergencies, and Beast Boy showed him what had left him so horrified not too long ago. Lying on the bed were the mangled remains of his friend…no arms, no legs, and barely anything left of his lower body. Circuit boards and wires hung out of the massive hole in his chest plate and the bed sheets were stained with various oils and hydraulic fluids. It was a nauseating sight and perhaps only because Cyborg had been mostly machine was Robin able to keep his lunch in his stomach. Robin's eyes fell to the masks and tubes hooked up to Cyborg's face and several other wires that hooked up what was left of his body to several machines at the bedside.

"We were attacked…I tried to help but they were too fast…" Beast Boy whimpered his explanation. "When I woke up I found him like this…he managed to scrawl down instructions on how to hook this stuff up."

"Wh…what's his condition?"

"According to Red X…all we're doing is slowing down the decline."

Robin glanced over to his friend, who was almost on the verge of completely breaking down. Robin had to admit…it was hard to maintain a stern vigil.

"He's dying Robin."

Those were some of the worst words that Robin could ever imagine. When a friend died instantly, the shock was quick and over with in a hurry; it was a painful but you could start coming to terms with it right away. But dying…there was that whole sense of helplessness that was now overwhelming Robin right now. His friend was fading away slowly before his very eyes and he couldn't think of a thing to do to save him. It was slow…painful…every second was agonizing at Robin's spirit. Surrender, though, was not in Robin's dictionary and he refused to accept that his friend was going to die.

There was still time and there was still hope.

"Are the communications working?" Robin finally spoke up.

"Uh…y-yes. Why?"

"I'm calling in some favors."


	7. Chapter 6: What Used to Be

**Chapter Six: What Used to Be**

Gordanian Warship _Vargis_  
Approximately Four Years Ago

**"We have brought the Tamaranean girl Lord Trogaar."**

"Bring her forth."

The Gordanian Lord sat upon his throne chair at the center of the bridge, surrounded by several other Gordanian warriors and bridge crew. From the doorway leading to the bridge, two Gordanians entered carrying a semi-conscious and heavily bound Blackfire onto the bridge. Both hands were encapsulated in large metal bindings and a special metallic plate had been securely fastened over her eyes, leaving her blinded and helpless. Injured and exhausted from her capture, Blackfire was helpless in struggling against her captors but that didn't mean she was going to just hang up the towel. With a gentle shove, the Tamaranean fell to the ground before Lord Trogaar. With no idea where the threats were around her, the young princess kept her head down and her temper under control. She knew she could bide her time…eventually she would have an opportunity to show these Gordanians the tenacity of a Tamaranean warrior.

"You have given my warriors quite a hassle young Tamaranean," Trogaar spoke boastfully as he leaned forward slightly. "Imagine my surprise when my lieutenant told me that a single Tamaranean girl needed more than a dozen of my warriors to take down."

The memories of the fight was still fresh on her mind; she was wandering around the star system, minding her own business when suddenly a Gordanian warship came out of nowhere and launched a surprise attack. In hindsight, she probably should've known better than to fly through space that was well known as a Gordanian hunting ground. Almost anybody dumb enough to wander through that section of space was asking to be attacked by at least one Gordanian ship. Blackfire couldn't help but wonder what god she pissed off to wind up with a whole warship instead of the usual raiding crafts. Nothing ever seemed to go her way. Despite Blackfire's best efforts, there were simply too many Gordanians for her to handle.

Needless to say, Blackfire did not go down quietly. It took a dozen Gordanians and a strong jolt of electricity to keep the Tamaranean down long enough to get shackles on her. Another trio of guards were needed to secure the headgear to keep her eyebeams contained. Unless she figured out a way to escape captivity, Blackfire had little to look forward except a life of slavery…kept in a cage by the Citadel Empire or, worse, on a Gordanian barge.

"I was aiming for twenty but I had tired myself out busting my way through your ship's hull," Blackfire snapped back, promptly earning her a boot to the back, knocking her face-first to the ground. The blood leaking into her mouth served as a reminder for her to keep her mouth shut for now, save for a few inaudible grumbles under her breath.

"What's your name Tamaranean?"

"Komand'r."

"You don't…the infamous Princess Komand'r, now do you?" Trogaar remarked as he rose from his seat.

"How does a Gordanian chlorbag know about Tamaranean gossip?" Blackfire sneered at the amusement Trogaar seemed to be partaking in. She could hear the reverberations of the Gordanian's breath and when she could feel it upon her cheeks she knew that he had stepped close enough.

"I always take an interest in my work," Trogaar mused. "Especially since I organized the attack on Tamaran on that special day of yours – needed to do something to teach your Tamaraneans your place."

"It…was…you?" Blackfire growled with maliciousness clear in her tone but her temper just subtly rising. "I ought to rip throat out."

"An idle threat but to be expected from a Tamaranean – all bark and no bite."

The warmth and stench of his breath clearly indicated how close he was to her and by her mental calculations it was close enough. "Bite this!" Blackfire shouted as she lunged forward, slamming the metal plate over her eyes right into Trogaar's face followed by a juggernaut of a swing, using her own shackles as added force. It didn't quite break the shackles as she had hoped, but Trogaar was thrown straight into his chair in a blow that she hoped he would not get up easily from. Alas, those were the only strikes Blackfire could launch as the Gordanian guards quickly descended upon her and subdued her with multiple blows from their staves. Some might argue that attacking the Gordanian leader like that was a fool-hearted move, Blackfire's pride refused to allow her to kneel before Gordanians without a fight.

"Fierce as always," Trogaar sneered, wiping a speckle of blood from his lips. "But you Tamaraneans never did know when you quit."

"Guess we're kinda dumb that way."

"In more ways than one princess," the Gordanian mused maliciously, which would've sent a chilled down Blackfire's back were not so bold already. "I was thinking of sending you back to the Citadel Empire's main camp but I think you'll be much better off on Oriox Prime."

"O-Oriox?" Blackfire squeaked weakly. For a brief instant, her Tamaranean integrity began to waver. Oriox Prime was the galactic equivalent of being sent to a German death camp – the only thing one could hope for was a quick death. Even the bittersweet embrace was death always seemed just out of reach during the bouts of torture and other unspeakable horrors. Needless to say, it was a fate that Blackfire was going to avoid at all cost. "W-wait!" She cried out just as the guards started to drag her away. On cue the guards halted, almost as though everyone was waiting for the young princess to crack.

"Is the young princess interested in bartering for her freedom?" The Gordanian's snide remarks confirmed her suspicions that he had intended on breaking her down from the moment he launched the surprise attack on her. She had fallen victim to an opportunistic Gordanian preying upon Blackfire disdain for her own planet. However, she just saw it as an opportunity to earn her freedom and get rid of one of her own problems.

"If I recall correctly, the Citadel is always looking for a way to 'keep the Tamaraneans' in line. Ever since Galfore set up his collapsing phalanx guard, no Gordanian raid has been able to get within ten miles of any of our cities."

"And what do you propose princess?" Trogaar chuckled evilly.

"You promise me safe passage at least a dozen light years from here and I'll show you how to break through the collapsing phalanx."

"And how can I be certain you will give me proper information?"

"You don't – but you can either send me away and get nothing out of this whole ordeal or you can take my word for it and you can have the heart of the entire Tamaranean race in your possession. Which will it be?" Blackfire was turning the situation into her favor, knowing full well how badly the Citadel Empire wants the Tamaraneans under control. If Lord Trogaar let this opportunity slip away, he would surely feel the wrath of his superiors.

"You have a deal Tamaranean."

----------------------------------

"I'll go prep ze ship, we're probably going to need to take off in a hurry," Jacqueline sighed lightly with a discouraged shake of her head. Her friends nodded in agreement and the young heroine hurried off to get their vessel ready. Jinx and Raven, on the other hand, figured that their only hope of a peaceful conclusion would be to attempt to talk some sense into the gargantuan Tamaranean Grand Ruler. That task, of course, fell under the 'easier said than done' category and ranked about ten on a difficulty scale. After a surprising revelation, Blackfire had fled the palace with Starfire in pursuit. With any luck, Starfire would be able to calm her temperamental sister and Raven could try to talk sense into Galfore.

"If all Tamaraneans are as stubborn as Blackfire, we'd have more luck trying to beat him at arm-wrestling," Jinx sighed lightly as she and Raven walked through the halls of the palace.

"Stubbornness and quick-tempers seem to be a hallmark of their species," Raven replied in agreement.

"Okay, we'll handle this like any other problem – we identify the problem, we come up with an attack plan, and we execute." All those years training with the HIVE academy had its benefits.

"Very well. Problem: Blackfire has betrayed her entire planet to their sworn enemies."

"Solution: we convince Galfore to be lenient on her."

"New problem: after betraying her people and over-throwing her planet, nobody is willing to give her an leniency. Even I'd be reluctant to give her a second chance."

"New solution: we show them how she's changed and no longer the manipulating, self-centered, violence-prone villain that she used to be."

"Except that she's just now a manipulating, self-centered, violence-prone heroine…and even the heroine part is stretching the truth."

"Huh…this planning thing is turning out to be harder than I thought," Jinx sighed lightly, scratching the back of her head as she pondered their plan further. "Blackfire of always finding a way to make things worse – and I'm forced to bail her ass out of trouble, as usual."

"So why do you bother?"

"Cause she's my friend…it's what friends do," Jinx answered half-heartedly, as if she was just finding any reason that would palatable to Raven. "It's better than my last team – I only need to baby-sit half the time." It had been a long and fruitful year with the Argonauts and while Jinx could spend the better part of an hour going over the highlights of her short stint as a 'hero', she had a friend to bail out of the fire…again. It was a good thing that Jinx didn't bother keeping count or she might start rubbing the thirty-seven separate occasions in Blackfire's face. "Now which way did that giant go?"

Taking a moment to focus, Raven mentally 'searched' through the palace to locate the Grand Ruler's location, finally pinpointing him in one of the upper towers. "Follow me."

"Wish I could do that – make it'd easier to keep tabs on Kid Flash," Jinx joked lightly as she followed Raven through the corridors.

"I know I'm going to regret saying this but…trouble in paradise I assume?"

"When your boyfriend can run at the speed of light, it's a little difficult to keep him in one place if you catch my drift." Jinx went on for several more minutes with various complaints about Kid Flash, most of which revolving around his irresponsible and too-laid-back attitude, but Raven stopped paying attention after the first sentence. Raven wasn't going to be everybody's go-to psychiatrist, relationship expert, or advisor. The problem with having a reclusive and quiet reputation was that everybody assumed she was good at keeping secrets, which wasn't far from the truth but she wished it wasn't that obvious to people. Lucky for Raven, their arrival at Galfore's chamber doors was just the excuse Raven needed to excuse herself from the conversation.

"Leave the talking to me," Jinx insisted as she stepped in front of Raven and pounded on the door. There wasn't an answer though. Raven double-checked to confirm that Galfore was in the room and likely ignoring any visitors for the moment. "Open up already!"

"Good idea, yell at the ruler of a planet full of warriors," Raven muttered quietly.

Heavy footsteps alerted the girls to movement on the other side of the door, which swung open revealing the already irate Tamaranean Emperor. "You have a lot of nerve demanding my presence," he growled loudly, causing both girls to recoil in fear.

"Indeed but I'm sure you can understand that your calling for my friend's execution is obviously an issue that I cannot just sit idly by so I was hoping for a minute of your time to talk this over like two rational adults." Galfore glared at Jinx for a moment, as if deciding whether to invite her in or crush her head like a grape. After the most anxious five seconds of her life, Jinx and her friend were granted entrance to his room to argue their case. "See?" Jinx whispered coyly. "Just leave the talking to me."

**Exactly One Minute Later…**

"Get out!"

"Gaaah!"

"Ahhhh!"

Both the teens were literally thrown out of the room, landing in a heap on the opposite side of the hallway: Jinx first and then Raven landing atop of her. They were only regaining their senses when the door slammed with such force that they feared the entire doorframe would shatter and collapse upon them.

"Diplomacy was never your strong suit was it?" Raven remarked.

"I only got a C+ on my 'Advanced Negotiations' exam," Jinx sighed lightly. "I guess I should have attended a few more lectures."

"I'm starting to think arm-wrestling would've been a more practical use of our time." With a few sore groans, the two girls staggered back to their feet and worked on figuring out a new plan. Clearly, words were not going to work…no surprise there. They realized that they would need to show that Blackfire was a different person and that a part of her did care about her homeworld.

"Blackfire will need to do something to make Galfore see she's change at least a little bit."

"Hopefully Starfire's having more luck than we are. Though there's no way apologizing is going to get her out of this."

"Go help Jacqueline with the ship. I'll keep an eye out for them – if we need to leave in a hurry, you should be waiting with the ship." If anybody could convince Galfore to reconsider sparing Blackfire's life, it'd be Starfire.

----------------------------------

Several miles out from the palace there was a rock formation in the midst of the Tamaranean wastelands that, while seemingly no different than any of the others, held a great deal of significance to young Blackfire. It was remote, out of the way, and offered plenty of shelter, making it an ideal place to hide when you didn't want to be found by anybody…especially bothersome, morally-inclined, little sisters. Ever since her days as a young princess, Blackfire had retreated to this small formation, nestled beneath the massive, crisscrossing rock spires, to find sanctuary from the world that always scorned her. A careful examination of the rocks would show dozens of fist-sized craters of various sizes and ages. Back when Tamaran was her permanent resident, it was the only place where she felt safe enough to let go of all the acting and just be herself. She was, however, mistaken in her belief that she was the only person who knew of this location – Starfire had once followed Blackfire out to the rock formation and learned that Blackfire frequented the location almost every week.

As such, the moment Starfire bolted out of the palace, Starfire knew right away where her older sister would be heading. Starfire made sure to keep her distance as her sister would be better if she had some time to collect her thoughts before being confronted.

Starfire hadn't had to stalk her sister like this since the night that Blackfire left Tamaran. Just like the last time, Starfire kept her distance and hid in the shadows created by the massive boulders. If there was one thing she could count on, it was that her sister wasn't very observant when she was emotional.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!" Blackfire ranted, pacing back and forth with both fists tightly clenched. "Everything's screwed now. I was finally getting things together and I go and screw things up again. For the love of X'hal, it's just like what Galfore said – I ruin every good thing that comes into my life." Starfire remained silent as she watched her sister continue to rant and rave in the central clearing of the rock formations. "How am I going to explain this to the others? The moment Starfire tells Robin he's gonna bust my skull in. Maybe…maybe I should just get out while I still can…I can be halfway to Procyon by the time any of them even realize I'm off the planet."

Starfire mentally sighed in sympathy for her sister's plight. She knew that her sister went through a lot to prove she wasn't the bad person everyone said she was…but could her sister really have betrayed her planet? Blackfire was…evil and manipulative in the past but she had never done something to seriously hurt anybody except Star. It was difficult for Starfire to put all her feelings into words but she knew that what Blackfire did wasn't something she would do today. Plus, in the end, if it weren't for being taken prisoner by the Gordanians she wouldn't have met Robin and her other friends. Maybe it was for the best that she had been taken away from Tamaran and introduced to the wonders of Earth.

"Sister wait!" Starfire finally called out. She knew she had to confront her sister now…she just wished she knew what to say. Blackfire looked a little stunned to see her sister but not as surprised as one would expect. "Please...do not leave."

"What are you doing here? I figured you'd be huddled up with your k'norfka," Blackfire remarked indignantly.

"Cause a part of me knew if I did not pursue you…I would never see you again," she answered softly.

"You make that sound like a bad thing," the elder sister muttered under her breath. "Some things just can't be fixed."

"Why did you not tell me before? I would have understood."

"Understood? Don't make me laugh! You might not have reacted harshly but somebody would and everything would've gone downhill from there. I…I thought I could keep it a secret…I didn't think you needed to know." Starfire could tell that her sister was hiding something from her but she couldn't put her finger on it. Pressure was the only thing that ever made Blackfire talk but it was something that Starfire could never apply right. "Just go home Koriand'r. You can't fix this."

"Your friends are surely speaking with Galfore as we speak and I will speak to him as well. It does not have to end like this."

"It's all over sister. Now go away."

"But…"

"Now!" At this point, her sister was at the point of being furious with her irritating little sister. Starfire knew she could not leave but further talk would only aggravate her sister. Perhaps, Starfire thought, she was being too gentle with her sister – kindness and compassion were not things that her sister responded to.

"I am not leaving!" Starfire shouted back, taking her sister by surprise. "You may wish to run and hide from your own sins but I refuse to let your past mistakes ruin all the hard work you have done to atone for them. This is not four years ago! You are not the same person! Stop running like a coward from your problems and face them!" Starfire rarely raised her voice against her sister since their reconciliation and this was one of the moments where Starfire not only raised her voice but sounded angry as well.

Blackfire frowned bitterly at her sister's words, clearly becoming enraged by her tone. "Face my problems? Fine. Let's start with you!" It was not quite the reaction Starfire had been hoping for but not a totally unexpected one. She braced herself in time so that her sister's starbolt only knocked her over. "It was your damn idea to come here, your damn idea to talk to Galfore, and it was your bloody fault I agreed to any of this nonsense! I should have never listened in the start!"

"And whose fault is that?" Starfire retorted before rising to her feet and slugging her sister with a nasty right hook. With her sister stunned, Starfire rushed her sister and pinned her against the wall. "You have numerous friends who have done everything to help you and you continue to throw it back at them. When nobody was willing to give you another chance I stood up for you and you still disrespect my compassion. This is a mess that you have only yourself to blame for! "

"Naive…little brat!" Blackfire grunted, holding onto her sister in their struggle. "Not every problem needs to be solved and you refused to accept that some bridges can't be fixed! You're also forgetting something else." In a surprise flash of quick footwork and the right leverage, Blackfire broke free and threw her sister straight to the ground. Keeping hold of her sister, Blackfire sharply pulled her sister back to her feet so that she could send her flying across the clearing with another starbolt to the chest. "I'm better at martial arts now."

On the bright side, at least Starfire had her sister talking more truthfully. Blackfire was almost incapable of lying when she was angry…all Starfire had to do was withstand her sister's fury.

"That does not make you a better person," Starfire answered with a pair of starbolts. "You do not think there is a solution because you are not willing to do what it takes to find it." With her sister's pride in mind, Starfire knew she could lure her back to the palace by keeping her mind focused on the fight. Without giving Blackfire a chance to retort, Starfire took to the sky, forcing her sister to give chase if she wished to defend her pride.

"What it takes?" Blackfire growled before flying after her sister. "You will only ever do what fits with your petty sense of morality and you're lecturing me about doing what it takes?" Now that she had Blackfire in chase, she just needed to lead her sister back to the palace. Dodging the flurry of starbolts, however, was making the task difficult. Weaving through the air, Starfire had to use all her expertise to avoid her sister's attacks. It was perhaps only because of their mended relationship that Blackfire wasn't aiming to inflict serious injuries upon her sister, making the shots easier to dodge. Nonetheless, Starfire had to hurry, though, as it would only be a matter of time before Blackfire's frustrations forced her to attack more accurately.

Purple flashes lit up the evening sky, growing more visible to the palace as the sisters drew closer. On the landing pad with the T-ship, Jacqueline and Jinx were some of the first to notice the dim flashes across the horizon but definitely the first to figure out what the source was.

"I doubt zat is a good sign," Jacqueline remarked as she stood on the ship's fuselage.

"We can't let Galfore see that."

"Zere get awfully close awfully fast…" It only took a few seconds for the faint flashes to become more intense and soon the silhouettes of their Tamaranean friends were visible. The purple flashes eventually began being accompanied by mid-air explosions – a sign of the escalating air battle. "Hm…she's impacting her starbolts together. Clever girl."

"Call Raven…we're going to need to get this under control." Jacqueline nodded in acknowledge while Jinx raced back inside the palace to find their friend.

Meanwhile, Starfire had her hands full trying to avoid the mid-air explosions created by her sister. Each shockwave shook the young Tamaranean, making it difficult to keep a steady flight path. She was, however, close enough to the palace for her friends to spot her and she hoped her friends would be able to help soon. Misfortune eventually found Starfire, though, as a pair of starbolts detonated right behind, throwing her off-course and sending her tumbling through the air. After several flips and spins through the air, Starfire managed to stabilize herself, only to be crash-tackled by her sister.

Back on the launch pad, Jacqueline continued watching the fight unfold. As serious as it appeared, even Jacqueline could see that Blackfire wasn't fighting with all her force. It more closely resembled the elder Tamaranean when she was going through one of her usual tantrums. The two entangled sisters rocketed towards the palace, eventually slamming into the mountain foundation and disappearing in the smoke and debris.

"Damn Star…you sure know how to piss your sis off," Jacqueline whistled, clearly impressed by the display of force. Figuring it'd be faster to go by air, Jacqueline hopped onto her fancy guitar and flew down to investigate.

Instead of just impacting into the mountain, though, the two sisters punched straight through the rocky exterior and into the basement levels of the palace. Amidst piles of rocks, debris, broken furniture, and scattered items, Blackfire was straddling her sister's waist with a charged starbolt raised high. Instinctively, Starfire grabbed the closest thing on hand to shield herself from the blast. Instead of a sheet of metal or a piece of rock, though, she wound up holding up a purple stuffed toy in the shape of a four-winged Tamaranean bird.

"Neegliek!" Blackfire gasped at the sight of the toy, abruptly letting the starbolt dispersing in her palm.

"Neegliek?" Starfire repeated, realizing the item she held in her hands. "I thought Galfore threw him away."

"I thought we tore him in half…"

"It would appear that somebody had stitched him back together." Starfire's closer examination found a length of crude stitching up along the body of the stuffed toy. "Where are we anyways?" The two gazed about the room, which was filled with various items of every sort, most of which looked either very old or very valuable.

"It's the vault – it's where mom and dad, along with every other Grand Ruler, kept their personal things for safe-keeping." Blackfire noticed that her knee was on top of something as well. Instead of something soft, though, it was a broken picture frame with a small, old photo contained within. "Well would you look at this…"

Prying the picture from its frame, the two sisters gazed at the old photo of a young Tamaranean couple. "It's mom and dad…" Starfire realized as she looked closer.

"Looks like it was just after mom and dad got married." Blackfire let out a deep sigh and collected her thoughts. "Listen sis, I'm sorry told the Gordanians how to kidnap you. I didn't think it would be as bad as it turned out but…I was angry and…I didn't have any other choice. I was captured by the Gordanians and they said if I didn't give them the information they wanted…they were going to send me to Oriox Prime," Blackfire explained quietly. Just looking at the picture of her mother made her think 'what would mom think of us now?' at which point Blackfire knew she had to get it off her chest and into the open. "I was scared…"

"I understand sister."

"You do?"

"I forgive you and I do not wish to lose the only family that I have." Starfire took a second look at the old photo in her sister's hand, her eyes transfixing of the young woman in it. "You look so much like mother," Starfire sighed enviously as she looked upon the photo. Their mother had long locks of black hair and dark, confident eyes. Their father, on the other hand, had a hefty head full of deep red hair and a full beard that stretched almost all the way down his burly chest. It had been years since either sister had been reminded of how their parents looked, though Blackfire had far more memories of their parents than the younger sister.

"Mother was always looking out for me…I can still remember when she first made Neegliek for me. It was after my first Gordanian raid…well, the first one I was old enough to understand. Of course…then Galfore gave it to you."

"He said you were too old for toys," Starfire teased, holding the stuff toy close.

"You had him for way longer than I did," Blackfire pouted.

"You never said anything in protest."

"I cried for nearly half the afternoon!"

"You…cried?" Starfire muttered in shock…before she started giggling like a little schoolgirl.

"Oh shut up! That's not funny at all."

"Awww…does the little bumgorf need her k'norfka Neegliek?" Starfire teased further, waving the little toy in Blackfire's face.

"Give me back my Neegliek!" Blackfire barked, pouncing upon Starfire to try and wrestle the toy free.

Minutes later, the doors to the vault burst open and Galfore, along with the three heroines, barged into the room. Jacqueline had seen the first moments of the sisters and warned the others about the fight going on in the vault. However, instead of finding two sisters fighting each other, they found them giggling and tumbling about the vault in a very childish game of tug-of-war.

"What is going on here?" Galfore shouted, immediately get both princesses' attention with Blackfire on top of her sister, who was just holding the toy out of the older sister's reach. Both girls immediately flustered a bright red and flashed an embarrassed grin to their friends, who were having trouble containing their own laughter.

"Uh…just a little um…disagreement," Starfire explained.

"Look at this mess!" The infuriated Galfore shouted, pointing to the giant hole in the wall, the broken shelves, and shattered priceless heirlooms of the royal family. In their best attempt to maintain dignity, both girls dusted themselves off and rose to their feet. "I ought to-"

"It was all my fault Galfore," Blackfire quickly interrupted. "I started the fight and in it, I smashed her through the wall and caused this mess."

"I'm surprised to see you're still on the planet Blackfire." To no surprise, Galfore hadn't forgotten about the whole 'selling out Starfire to the Gordanians' thing. There was no escape from the issue now, though, and Blackfire had no intention of running away this time. "Guards!"

"Wait Galfore!" Starfire shouted as she stepped between the Grand Ruler and her sister. "My sister did nothing wrong and if you had given her time to explain, you would know this." The only person really surprised by Starfire stepping in was her older sister, who had been expecting to have to handle the situation solo. "She gave the Gordanians that information because she had been taken captive and was threaten with terrible things if she did not reveal those secrets. You cannot be upset for a child to be afraid for her life."

"And if she were captured, why was she never taken captive as well?" Galfore answered, sounding a bit skeptical at first…but having trouble believing that Starfire would deceive him either.

"Because after I was captured I agreed to be peaceful if they promised to release her. She was too injured to escape…it was the only way to save us both."

"Is…this true Blackfire?"

"Uh…y-yes," the sister nodded quickly. "You…didn't give me a chance to explain…just like every other time you got angry at me." Galfore looked between the two siblings for a moment before storming off without another word, which was probably the best outcome they could've expected from the stoic Emperor.

"Okay I'm a little confused. What ze hell just happened here?"

"Long story," Starfire chuckled lightly. Their friends shuffled out of the room, leaving the sisters a moment alone again.

"The Gordanians had let me go long before you were brought on board," Blackfire remarked as she looked over to her sister.

"You had save my life numerous times. I thought it appropriate that I do the same in return."

"Just like when we were kids," Blackfire laughed, referring to the numerous incidents when the pair got into trouble and avoided punishment by concocting elaborate stories. "I will…try to apologize if he wants to talk to me again."

----------------------------------

In the private chambers of the Grand Ruler, young Blackfire stood before Galfore in their second attempt at reconciliation. This time around, the others gave them privacy…or at least they were not occupying the room. They were, however, just outside the door and, except for Raven, with their ear pressed against the door.

"Galfore…" Blackfire began, taking her time with each word so that they went out perfectly. There was going to be no third chance at this. "I am deeply sorry for all the wrongs I have committed against you, my sister, and my homeworld. I do not ask nor deserve any favors…only that I be treated as my actions have shown rather than what people have said about me. There…I said it."

"I…do not want your apologies Blackfire. I have spent many hours contemplating what had happened in the past and your…complaints had always been with warrant. You had been treated unfairly and while that does not exempt you from your past sins, it was we who drove you away. You needed a home and instead we turned our backs on you. For that, I humbly ask for your forgiveness."

While Blackfire might've pressed for an apology earlier that day, she had never actually anticipated getting one. Hell, even she would've been reluctant to apologize to herself. "I guess we've both screwed up then, hm?"

"Blackfire…when you were a child, your father knew deep in his heart that people would not accept you as a Grand Ruler, at least not in their hearts. Your father wanted to spare you the dishonour of a failed leadership and she had the greatest hopes for you that you would excel in other endeavors. If your parents had lived they would have given a better chance than the advisory council did. I fought them as hard as I could to give you that chance but…you know how stubborn an old man can be. There are greater things in life than ruling a planet. Believe me…it is not a glamorous when you've been doing it for more than a few weeks. Your mother, though, never stopped believing in you for one second and that was why she gave you this…" Galfore opened his palm and revealed to Blackfire a small ring that bore the royal family's crest upon it. "And it is why I am giving it back to you now."

"I…thought you gave this Starfire," Blackfire murmured softly as her eyes transfixed upon the ring. "The ring of ascension is only for the next in line."

"Your sister said she never felt right wearing it…after you left home she gave it back to me and said to hold onto it until the day you returned. It is time for you to take back what was once yours."

"But…what about what father said?"

"Stubborn we may be, people will be willing to forgive you if you are willing to give them a second chance."

"Galfore…I…I can't accept this."

"I am an old man and I do not have an heir of my own. I will be able to rest peacefully knowing that my home has been left in good hands." Rather than waiting for a response, Galfore gently took Blackfire's hand and slid the ring unto her finger. "Hail to thee Princess Komand'r, Princess of Tamaran."

Blackfire was completely speechless. Her jaw hung open as though looking for words but not even a peep left her lips. Eventually, she gave up trying to find words and simply embraced her k'norfka in a warm hug. Finally, she managed to eke out a few words. "Thank you." Outside there was a very, very quiet celebration for their friend's success, especially for Starfire. Jacqueline was still listening for more when the door suddenly swung open and the French girl fell into the room with a yelp.

"Quite done listening in?" Blackfire mused as she looked to her fallen friend.

"Just…making sure you were safe," Jacqueline chuckled, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Well our business is done here so its time to go home," Blackfire instructed, motioning for her friends to head for the ship. Blackfire watched her sister and friends file off for the T-ship, staying behind to say one last good-bye to Galfore.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Galfore remarked, holding up the tiny stuffed Neegliek.

"Don't say a word to anybody," Blackfire whispered sternly, swiping the toy from her k'norfka. Heading off to join her friends, Blackfire took a second to make sure that nobody was in the halls in sight…and then hugged the little Neegliek closely. "My little bumgorf…"

"Ahem!" A familiar voice spoke up. Blackfire looked up to see her sister standing at the end of the hall with a very smug grin across her face. "Are you coming sister?"

"Right…I was just…um…wipe that smirk off your face!"

Starfire simply giggled and replied, "of course, your highness."


	8. Chapter 7: What Will Forever Be

**Chapter Seven: What Will Forever Be**

**"Okay, I'll admit it – this wasn't a complete catastrophe," Blackfire finally conceded after being hassled by her friends all the way back from Tamaran.** She wasn't too concerned about her friend's opinions, though, as she spent more time admiring the ring on her finger than listening to her friends. There were still parts of her that had trouble believing that her birthright had been restored; now she just hoped that she wouldn't screw this chance up. Blackfire could only imagine the trouble Galfore was going through explaining this out to the advisory council that had stripped her of those rights so many years ago. The man the council treated with mild contempt was now the one who wielded executive power and so long as Galfore remained in power, nobody could block Blackfire's ascension. It was a shame that she had grown such an attachment to Earth or she might've returned back to Tamaran to reclaim her old life. However, she had responsibilities on Earth…and friends she couldn't say good-bye to.

"Just promise you won't forget the little things in life when you're sitting on that big throne of yours – like us," Jinx added with a laugh.

"And forget about my 'humble' beginnings? I wouldn't dream of it. But only if you promise to visit every so often…with gifts of course." Once she was back on Tamaran, it wouldn't be long before she started longing for the comforts of Earth.

"Just remind me to bring a gift for zat palace cook of yours," Jacqueline added as she flipped through the pages of a Tamaranean cookbook. It wasn't translated but that simply meant she would have to learn how to read Tamaranean first, which was a welcomed challenge for her. Linguistics had always been a favourite of hers and the language of her alien friends was most interesting. "Does anybody remember what it was we had for lunch?"

"It was called ixballi," Starfire explained. "The roasted viscera of the ixbi mole stuffed into an allizim rock worm."

"Reminded me of ze breakfast sausages my father used to make."

"I can't believe you actually liked that stuff – I don't and I grew up on it," Blackfire added with a hint of disgust.

The T-ship finished its descent through the Earth's atmosphere and began its approach to the Titans Tower from the west. All of the ship's occupants were eager to set foot back on Earth and tell their friends about the events back on Tamaran, especially Starfire. While the others reminisced over their trip, Raven took picked up the radio so that she could let Robin and the others know that they were only a few minutes from arriving. "This is the T-ship calling home, please respond."

"Read you loud and clear Raven," an answer finally came, though Robin's voice wasn't the joyful greeting the others had been expecting. "When you land, please assemble at the medical wing…we have some bad news."

"We'll be there soon," Raven answered after a brief moment of silence to reflect on Robin's words. Her thoughts were akin to the others in the ship – what did we just miss?

"Can zis zing go any faster?"

"It's time to find out," Jinx answered, driving the throttle lever to the 'maximum' position. The blue flames of the ship's boosters flashed brightly before unleashing a furious stream of propulsion and rocketing the T-ship across the ocean. Their ten to fifteen minute arrival was dramatically reduced to only five with Jinx performing one of the fastest landing sequences in the T-ship's history. Starfire didn't even wait for the ship to come to a complete halt before forcing her pod's hatch open and flying out to find Robin. Out of the five of them, Starfire was clearly the most concerned about this 'bad news' that Robin mentioned. Jacqueline and Raven were the next two to quickly exit the vessel and hurry off, followed by Blackfire and Jinx – both of whom were not expecting the sort of grim news that Robin had in store for them.

As instructed, the five friends assembled just outside the medical room where Robin and Beast Boy had been waiting patiently…though it was not for them. Robin's anxious pacing back and forth coupled with his constant time checking was more akin to a hospital waiting room.

"What has happened Robin?" Starfire immediately pressed upon her arrival, not even waiting for her friends to catch-up. "Why are we waiting out here? Where is our friend Cyborg?" Robin's anxious aversion to eye contact did not instill much hope in the Tamaranean. "Robin, please explain your silence."

"The Legion is back," Beast Boy answered instead. Like Robin, he couldn't keep eye contact with his friends and instead stared at the floor between his feet. "They attacked the Titans East and when Robin and Kid Flash went to help them in Steel City, Cyborg and I were ambushed by them. I…I tried to stop but it all happened so quickly…"

"What happened to Cyborg?" Starfire interrupted, almost demanding an answer now.

"He's in the operating room," Robin reluctantly explained. "The Legion…went after Cyborg." It was a rather understated explanation but Robin was struggling to find a way to break it to his friends without sounding callous. "We think they were targeting him from the start…he's in critical condition." Starfire and Raven looked almost horrified at the news, while the other three were trying to remain as stoic as possible in face of such grim news.

"May we…see him?"

"We called in some friends and they're working on Cyborg as we speak. They asked for privacy while they worked and we haven't heard a word from them in almost an hour." Even with Robin's explanation, it took Raven and Blackfire's reassuring hands upon her shoulders to keep her from barging into the operating room to see for herself. On the verge of tears, Starfire was guided over to some nearby seats so Robin could continue to console her.

"We should've been here," Blackfire growled in disgust. Though her friendship with Cyborg was minimal, she had a strong respect for the Titans and such an ambush, on her birthday no less, was very reminiscent to the deplorable tactics used by the Gordanians. "How many were there?"

"Three attacked the Tower," Beast Boy answered. "And Atalanta was leading them…though she called herself Athena now. The other two were…Artemis and Apollo."

"Kid Flash was ambushed by another one named Hermes and I was attacked by Ares."

"All Greek deities," Raven muttered afterwards. "You think it's a coincidence we now have five robots named after Greek gods…and three supercomputers that happened to be named after the three major Greek gods?"

"Well remember than Dr. Pangalos led both the Olympus project and helped designed the Legion," Robin answered. The Olympus Project revolved around the creation of three high-powered supercomputers, each one named after a Greek God by the project leaders, Dr. Pangalos. Were the doctor still alive, they would have a suspect as to who created these new Legionnaires. "We can work on that lead later…"

Robin's dismissal of Raven's suggestions took her a bit by surprise. Normally Robin was the most gung-ho of the bunch, especially if an enemy had injured a friend. Now, though, it seemed like Robin was almost…demoralized by this event. It was not uncommon for Robin to take things personally and none of the other Titans could be certain to what extent Robin blamed himself for this tragedy but he had never taken anything so badly that it left demoralized like this. Even when they thought Raven had been lost due to Trigon Robin managed to keep focused on finding a solution. Was his sense of guilt having that much of an effect on him?

After several agonizing hours of waiting, the light overtop of the operating room door switched off and the door finally slid open. The friends that Robin had called in soon filed out of the room – Mr. Fixit, expert in robot repairs; Tramm, Aqualad's personal mechanic; and Spike, another mechanic with expertise in robotics. A keen observer, though, would notice that there wasn't one person with actual medical experience amongst them.

"Your friend's condition has been stabilized," Mr. Fixit, who led the procedure, announced, much to the relief of the other heroes. "We will be able to bring him back online in a few minutes."

"How grievous were his injuries?" Starfire was the first to respond, since she still had no idea how 'critical' her friend was.

"I'm afraid there was a lot of damage to every part of him. We were able to repair the damage to all his cybernetic components but…the damage to what was still human was much more precise," Spike said, stepping into the conversation with a tone drenched in sympathy. "We didn't…I mean to say is that we couldn't…uh…maybe you should just take a look for yourself."

Spike's inability to explain the situation in full prompted Starfire to barge past three mechanics and into the operating room. A few seconds later there was just the most pained cry the Titans had ever had to hear.

----------------------------------

What had been many hours for his friends felt like mere seconds to Cyborg. As his systems began to finally power up, his optics began to transmit data to his occipital cortex, slowly bringing the world into view.

_"System start-up…all systems nominal."_

At first, Cyborg didn't notice anything was wrong, except that for some reason his vision seemed to be a bit clearer than usual. As seconds ticked by, his senses, or lack thereof, began to become more apparent to him. Though he could see and hear, for some reason he could not feel the metal table beneath his fingertips or the nip of the cooled air against his face. It felt, in a way, like a sort of sensory deprivation.

"Quick, he's awake." Beast Boy's voice announced, followed by a rush of footsteps all around him. The other Titanss stood on all sides of the table, looking down at their friend…but Cyborg began to worry when there was an absence of that joyful smile he had expected. The last memory he could recollect was being on the wrong end of a heavy energy blaster thanks to Atalanta. Normally when a friend was pulled from the brink of death they would be happier to see him. "Um…h-how are you feeling dude?"

"My internal sensors say I'm fine," Cyborg answered, though he did notice that his voice carried a slightly flatter tone to it. While he felt…empty, he attributed it to just the aftermath of nearly having his head blown off. He didn't, however, imagine what was in store for him. "Why are you guys all looking at me like that?" Since he didn't feel any soreness or pain despite an extensive operation, Cyborg sat up so his friends didn't need to look down for the whole conversation. "What happened?"

"Cyborg…you were badly injured by the last attack," Raven finally spoke up since none of the other Titans were able to come up with the proper response. "Mr. Fixit, Spike, and Tramm had to rebuild a lot of your systems and there was a lot of damage to your…human side."

"W-what do you mean?" Cyborg replied, growing more anxious as even Raven began to have trouble formulating her response. Finally, Starfire directed Cyborg's attention to a mirror mounted on the wall and what he saw would've made him drop his jaw in shock…if he still had it. The half of him that was already machine looked exactly the same but every inch of humanity that he once possessed had been replaced with cold metallic plating. His dark-skinned face was now just a polished metal plate with a darker plate over where his mouth once was. No longer did he have one human eye, as both were now full red optics, which would explain why his vision seemed to be better than it was before. The construct of his body was slightly larger now, his biceps and legs were a bit thicker and his shoulder plates were more triangular in shape now, though still sloped. Now Cyborg could understand why his senses felt so dulled…most of them were gone now and a chip somewhere in his chin was synthesizing his voice.

"Mr. Fixit was able to save your brain and most of your spinal cord…but that's about it," Robin regretfully informed him. "We're sorry Cyborg."

"This…this can't be real," Cyborg stammered, palpating the features of his metallic face hoping that what he saw was mere a hallucination of some sort. This was, alas, very real. "This can't be real!" As their friend began to panic, Starfire and the other Titans quickly moved to keep their friend restrained before he hurt someone. Unfortunately, some of the new enhancements that Fixit and the others installed allowed Cyborg to overpower his friends easily and scatter them across the room like rodents.

"Cyborg please control yourself!" Starfire pleaded as she tried to ease her hysterical friend.

"What have you done to me?" Cyborg enraged shouts echoed throughout the Tower as he lumbered over to the mirror and leaned up against it. If he still had tear ducts, he would probably be weeping at this moment but alas all he could muster were synthetic sob and groans of despair.

"Cyborg…we had no choice…" Robin tried to reason with him as he approached him calmly. "When Beast Boy found you, you were barely hanging on by a thread and your life support systems were beginning to fall apart. This…this was the only thing we could do to save you."

Cyborg gazed into the mirror once again, staring deep into his red optics and trying to make sense of every emotion that was running through his circuit-ridden mind. Eventually, that mind of his settled on rage and he suddenly belted Robin across the jaw, much to everyone's surprise. "What gave you the right to do this to me?" Unfortunately, everyone had underestimated the extent of Cyborg's reaction…otherwise they would've found a way to safety his weapons. As Robin gathered his senses, he found that he was staring down the lengthened barrel of an upgraded sonic cannon. As the deflector coils in the barrel began to hum loudly, the severity of the situation began to set in. "Why couldn't you have just let me die?"

"Cyborg!" Raven's voice cut in over the hum as her hand pushed the cannon to the side. Her pleading eyes were enough to calm his ire for the time being, though only an indignant grunt was his response while retracting his weapon. Visually, it was difficult to tell exactly what Cyborg was feeling though it was likely he was still angry…but the presence of his 'friends' made it impossible for him to vent his anger on Robin. Storming off, he did vent a little on the door as he simply smashed it open.

"That could've gone better…" Raven said as she let out a discouraged sigh.

"Now I've seen Cyborg angry but…that's the first time he's actually hit Robin before," Beast Boy added. Robin was the only one who didn't have a discouraged expression, though mostly because his mind was being racked with guilt more than despair. Not saying anything to his friends, Robin exited as well but headed in the opposite direction. The remaining Titans were uncertain of what to do not only for their friend Cyborg but their discouraged leader as well.

"Go talk with Robin," Raven finally spoke up as she went to find Cyborg. Starfire nodded and soon left to find their leader, leaving Beast Boy with nothing but to sit and worry about his friends. Now Raven didn't have much difficulty finding her friend, as there was an easy-to-spot trail of dents in the wall for her to tail. The trail eventually led the Titan all the way to Cyborg's room, which wasn't that much of a surprise. Thankfully, his door had been left untouched so she was able to politely knock upon it.

"Go away," Cyborg's voice shouted from inside.

"I can't do that Cyborg. Now by the count of five I'm going to be on the other side of this door." Reluctantly, Cyborg unlocked the door for her and she headed inside to talk to her friend. The room was barely lit, save for the glow of the computer screen, and Cyborg sat solemnly on the end of his horizontally set bed. Though it once again did not show, she could sense the despair he was feeling. "How are you feeling?"

"How am I feeling? How am I feeling?! How do you think I feel?" Cyborg's shouts made it clear that he was still in the anger phase, though Raven didn't let it bother her and simply sat down next to him.

"I can only guess by what I can sense Cyborg. If you don't tell me I won't know for certain."

"I'm just…I don't know…"

"Why do you think you hit Robin?"

Cyborg found it to be a bit of an odd question but went along with it anyways. "I'm not sure. It's just that…I mean, it was like…" A low growl of frustration seeped from his voice chips, vocalizing his annoyance with his inability to phrase it right. "After the accident…my father reconstructed my body to 'save me'. One minute I was just a regular, albeit really smart, kid and the next I knew I was half-machine."

"Are you angry at Robin for having your body repaired?" Again it was an obvious question but the point was to help Cyborg understand that himself. Sometimes being a sounding board was all you needed to do.

"Um…yeah…I am. I mean, he knows how attached I was to my human side and he went through with it anyways!"

"Did you forgive your father for what he did?"

"Eventually I did…but that took years and it was only after I joined the Titans." Cyborg saw where Raven was going to this line of questioning so he just continued with his train of thought. "I know Robin...just wanted me to live but…I didn't want it to be like this. Just…let him know that I'm sorry about hitting him. I just…snapped."

"I know this is tough Cyborg," Raven said softly, giving him a reassuring pat on the back even though he didn't have a peripheral nervous system anymore. "But you learned to accept yourself when you were half-machine – you considered yourself a freak but now you know you never were. You still aren't either – what you look like on the outside has changed but the person inside hasn't. Your mind and your memories are what make you who you are."

Cyborg let out another sigh as he finally looked over to Raven for the first time since she entered the room. Slowly, Cyborg took her hand off his shoulder and set her palm against the side of his face. She wasn't quite sure what his point was but her fingertips ran along the smooth metal plate nonetheless. It would be tough for everybody to adjust to this new appearance of his, especially since staring into those glowing red optics reminded her of the ones that belonged to the minions of the Legion. Without that piece of humanity, he looked like a cold, heartless killing machine. Somebody who didn't know the man inside the machine might mistake him to be akin to the Legion. Adjusting to his new form would be long and arduous…but Raven knew that she and her other friends would stand by him the whole way through.

"I know you're touching my face…because I have sensors all over my body that tell me you are. But…I can't feel the warmth and softness of your skin…the pulse in your thumb…or the comfort it should bring. Can you imagine the distraught this brings?"

It was hard, if not impossible, for her to counter such a point. "I can't even begin to imagine how that would feel but this isn't the end."

"Isn't it?" Cyborg said with a voice that rose along with the rest of him. "Everything that was once me is gone now! All I am now is just steel and circuits. I'm…I'm barely even a person anymore. When I was just half-machine, I know I learned how to appreciate what humanity I had left but there's none of it left to embrace. All I see and hear is just what a bunch of computer chips tell me. What kind of life is that?" After having paced back and forth through the room almost a dozen times, Cyborg came to a halt next to his computer, where he was able to look at his reflection on the screen. "Raven…I honestly don't know if I can adjust to this. I don't know if I can do this."

Raven was beginning to feel a bit discouraged at her friend's despair. Cyborg was about as tough as they came but even he had his limits. It seemed highly unlikely for the Legion to have dealt such damage to Cyborg and not ensure that he was dead so their aim had either been to make him suffer as he died or suffer in life. Raven was more willing to put their malicious intents on making Cyborg suffer in life. The Legion were nothing than machines after all, it made more sense for them to follow reasoning and logic than simulated personal feelings and grudges.

"Cyborg…please tell me you're not thinking what I think you are."

"I want to die Raven…I don't want to life like…like this."

She had seen all of her friends at very low moments in their lives and her life as well had, in the past, left her contemplating the value of her own life. Cyborg, though, was the last person she thought would contemplate suicide. "Cyborg…you can't be serious. You are not thinking rationally right now."

"And what if I were?"

"You're being selfish."

"There's more to life than just existing Raven. Every time I look at myself I'm reminded of everything that I'm going to miss in life now. What do I have to look forward to anymore? I know you wouldn't agree on principle as a heroine but…when would saving a life mean that you have to let it go?"

"Cyborg…you can't expect me to kill my own friend…nor stand by and watch you die."

"I'm not asking you to kill me or even watch; I'm asking for you to respect my choice."

"I refuse to accept this is the answer," Raven sternly remarked, rising off the bed and marching over to her misguided friend. "You are letting your emotions get the better of your judgment."

"Well that's easy for you to say! You're not the one trapped inside a giant metal bucket!"

"You found a reason to live the last time, I believe you can do it again." Once again Raven managed to maintain dignity and maturity in the face of Cyborg's unstable emotional state. "Cyborg…you have been one of my closest friends for many years now. Ever since we first met, you were always the one who was able to convince me that I could fit in…and be accepted in this world. You never gave up on me even when I did and…I always felt a connection because a part of you knew what it was like to be on the outside looking in." Raven had always been one who was reluctant to open up but drastic times did call for drastic measures and if confiding a bit in him helped him realize just how important he was not only to her but to the rest of the team, then it was worth it.

"Raven I…" Now Cyborg was beginning to feel a bit guilty about everything he had just said, which was a step in the direction at least. "I'm sorry about unloading all that on you. Maybe…maybe you're right. Maybe I am just…a little hysterical at the moment. All I can feel is emptiness though…I'm not sure what do anymore."

"I would give it time Cyborg," Raven reassured him with another gentle pat on the back, though once again it meant nothing to him now.

"I don't know if I can wait two or three years to find meaning again," Cyborg answered softly. "And not to sound doubtful but…you don't know if anything will come from waiting…"

"No but we have faith in you," Robin's voice suddenly spoke up. The two Titans quickly looked to the door to see Robin standing in the doorway. "There's nobody tougher on this team than you Cyborg…and I'm sorry for what has happened."

"And…I'm sorry for punching you in the face."

"Cyborg, I know I can't force you to continue living your life as a hero or in any other way. In fact, I can't force you to keep living…as much as I think it's a mistake."

"I'm already dead Robin," Cyborg replied grimly. "I don't want to leave you guys but…I can't ignore what I feel in my…er, heart."

"Then all I'll ask is that you take time to think it over."

"How much time?" Cyborg asked, forcing Robin to actually start giving specific details. He could tell Robin wasn't here just to say exactly the same thing Raven just did.

"Forty-eight hours."

"And if I still want to die after forty-eight hours?"

"Then I'll pull the plug myself."

"Robin, you can't be serious!" Raven interjected.

"Fine…you can have your two days."


	9. Chapter 8: Reasons

**Chapter Eight: Reasons**

**"This is unbelievable.** You've done crazy things before but this ranks pretty damn high on the all-time list," Blackfire remarked as she leaned back in her seat, promptly folding her arms across her chest.

"I know it's unorthodox but it was the only way I could buy us some time…otherwise Cyborg might do something drastic," Robin replied with a groan of annoyance.

"I meant order me to go to Steel City. Why do I have to go to that boring, ol' place?"

Now Robin knew that Blackfire wasn't being callous on purpose but sometimes it was hard to ignore the insensitivity. The two team leaders were in the middle of a small meeting of sorts to discuss the recent turn of events and plan out their next move. Raven and Jinx were also present to add to the discussion while the remaining heroes were either looking after Cyborg or tending to duties onboard the Argo.

"Because you're the one with the airship. You just need to keep an eye on Steel City until the Titans East are able to return to take it back over."

Blackfire obviously wasn't too thrilled about having to take orders from Robin but she tried not to let it show much. Though the Argo was fully capable of relocating to the other side of the country, Blackfire thought the battle would be more intense in Jump City and she didn't want to be stuck on the sidelines babysitting over a bunch of wounded allies. The obstacles in Steel City probably required a lot more intellect and a lot less brute force than Blackfire was willing to deal with. She felt it was something that Robin would've had more 'fun' doing since he was more into the detective work.

"Fine," Blackfire muttered. "But if I don't get to kick some metal butt I'm going to be real pissed with you Robin."

"If it's any consolation, there's still a large HIVE presence out there. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll try to start some trouble," Jinx said, trying to reassure her friend. It would take a bit more than just the prospect of the HIVE to get Blackfire's hopes up. However, everyone else in the room was more concerned with their friend who was actually in distress. "How is Cyborg holding up anyways?"

"Star and BB are trying to keep his spirits up but last time I talked to them they didn't have much progress to report," Robin explained grimly. For the most part, Cyborg had been unresponsive to all of his friends' attempts to boost his morale. Nobody was expecting instant results but after a few hours, some progress was to be hoped for.

"He's been jumping between the first four stages of grieving for the past three hours," Raven added. "He's hanging by an emotional thread right now."

"Well try not to let him do anything stupid while we're gone," Blackfire sighed indifferently as she rose from her seat. "I expect to see him when I come back – we still have a score to settle and I'm not taking 'I can't drink anymore' as an excuse." The others could only mentally sigh and shake their head is dismay at Blackfire's behavior, fortunately behind her back as she left the room.

"Don't take it personally, distancing herself is just how she copes with things," Jinx remarked reluctantly. Alas, even after all these years Blackfire still had difficulty coping with such emotional burdens and distancing herself from the problems was the only way she could effectively protect herself. "I'll let you know if we find anything in Steel City."

The two Titans nodded in understanding before Jinx hurried to catch up with her friend. Robin fell back in his chair and let out a discouraged sigh. Robin sometimes wondered if that girl would ever be able to express sympathy for another person. With everything going on, though, Robin knew that he couldn't waste his time worrying about Blackfire. "What a mess…" he groaned.

"Just don't blame yourself for what happened," Raven remarked before Robin could get around to that part. "You're not actually going to go through with your promise, right?"

"If we can't convince him in time, I just might have to," Robin sighed reluctantly. "I don't want to obviously – he's my friend! But I can't force him to stay like this if he doesn't want to."

"Try explaining that to Starfire and Beast Boy." Saying nothing in his defense, Robin rose from his seat and headed out of the room as well. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go check on a lead."

"You can't just bury yourself in your work Robin."

"There's nothing I can do to convince him otherwise, that's something only you and the others can. I might as well do something about the Legion before they do something horrible to any one else." Now Raven was the one letting out a discouraged sigh. He was going to keep blaming himself until either Cyborg changed his mind or one of them died…and neither option was going to make things go back to the way they were. It was a sordid state of affairs at the Titans Tower. If they lost Cyborg, its impact would resonant through the entire tower. Even in his current state, every Titan felt as though they had lost a part of themselves as well. Raven wondered…perhaps that was why Legion kept him alive. Could Cyborg be more of a burden wounded than dead? Raven didn't want to believe it but the Legion wasn't a group to launch such a calculated assault and not accomplish their objectives.

Deciding to let Robin go, Raven ventured off to find Cyborg and the others. To no surprise, she found the man she sought in the exact same place that she left him. The only difference, though, was that Beast Boy and Starfire had both apparently been throw out of his room and were trying to talk their way back in.

"Locked out again?" Raven remarked.

"He is most reluctant to speak with us further," Starfire sadly explained.

"Come on dude, it was just a joke!" Beast Boy shouted, still trying to get his friend to open the door. "You used to laugh at that one all the time!"

"You're wasting your breath Beast Boy…more so than usual," Raven intruded as she pushed the green Titan aside. "Cyborg, open this door." Her calls went unanswered at first but Raven wasn't about to give in just yet. "Don't make me come in there." Once again, there wasn't even so much as a peep from the other side. Since he decided to call on her bluff, Raven had no choice but to open a gateway and teleport inside. Only five seconds later did the door open and Raven was rudely shoved back outside and locked out along her friends.

"Was that part of your plan?"

"No Star, it wasn't," Raven muttered with a slight frown. "Listen, you and Beast Boy should go join Robin; Cyborg and I will catch up with you later."

"Do you not wish for us to stay and help?"

"This is something I'm going to need some privacy for and Robin might need some help. If you hurry you might be able to catch up to him." Beast Boy and Starfire were a little reluctant to go but eventually conceded and hurried to join their teammate. Once she was certain her friends were gone, Raven knocked on the door again. "Cyborg it's just me now. Could you please open this door now?"

Finally, she got an answer as the door opened once more. "Why are you still here? You should be helping Robin." His voice was distant and echoed from the far side of the room.

"I'm preparing to but I thought I might be able to convince you to join us," Raven answered as she walked back inside, glancing around until she spotted him. He was sitting upon the floor against a bookshelf housing a number of his old high school memorabilia. "Despite what's happened, you're still a Titan and you still have a duty to uphold."

"You guys will be fine without me…if not, you better learn how to get used to my absence quickly," Cyborg scoffed, unflinching to Raven's attempts to appeal to his sense of duty. It didn't come as much of a surprise but Raven hadn't entered with only one venue of approach. "And you shouldn't be giving up on your duty for this?"

"Our duty is to _help_ people if you've forgotten. Regardless of what you've become, you're still a person and you still need help." It was a bit more of an abrasive approach but Raven was running out of ideas at this point. "But if you really want me to leave then I will," she reluctantly conceded as she headed on her way out, only to stop just shy of the door. "I guess Robin was right…"

"Wait a second," Cyborg called out just as Raven was about to leave. "What do you mean 'Robin was right'? What did he say?"

"Just that you wouldn't be in any condition to fight the Legion or continue your duties as a Titan," Raven answered in a very matter-of-factly tone. "He said you wouldn't have what it takes to be a hero anymore."

Cyborg just stared at Raven for a moment. She wished her friend had facial features for her to read so she could get some idea of what was going through his mind right now. Finally, Cyborg rose to his feet. "Doesn't have what it takes?" he remarked rhetorically, both fists clenching tightly. "I'm not out of this game just yet."

----------------------------------

"Something is not right here," Robin muttered quietly as the three Titans walked through the open assembly floors and mechanical rooms of the Wayne Enterprise R&D facility. Robin hadn't set foot in this building since following Atalanta to here more than a year ago. It had changed a great deal since then, mostly boosted security in order to protect the precious treasure deep within its confines – the Zeus supercomputer. If Robin's research was accurate, the Olympus Project had gone into overdrive since the first encounter with the Legion, including the first application of the three supercomputers' ability to design and create. Apparently, the military had decided to put the Three's processing abilities to good use…though the end results were still kept classified. Robin hoped that a fresh questioning of the Zeus supercomputer might shed some new light on the new and improved Legion.

"I always pictured this place would be…you know, inhabited," Beast Boy added, though loud enough for his echoes to return.

"It is eerily calm," Starfire agreed. "Why would it be so empty? Is it the Day of Presidents?"

The front lobby had been completely deserted with very few signs that anybody had ever been there. The only sign they found was a security logbook that hadn't been touched in five hours. The machinery in the assembly areas had yet to be activated for the day and the loading bays was devoid of any new shipments. From what they could deduce, the facilities had been deserted almost all morning.

"No…its just really, really quiet," Robin answered as he peered around the nearby corner. For a building with a staff of nearly three hundred scientists, technicians, computer experts, maintenance, management, and security guards, one would hope that there would be at least one person on duty at any given point in time. Robin and the others discovered, however, that not one person aside from themselves occupied the massive facilities.

"You know, with how busy we were with Cyborg, the Legion could've already come and gone," Beast Boy commented.

"That might've been their plan all along," Robin sighed lightly and reluctantly. "If they're already here then we'll need to hurry up. The supercomputer could already be in danger!" Without another word, Robin began to run quickly down the hall with his teammates close behind.

"But Robin, if they are attempting to practice stealth, then how will they escape with the supercomputer?" Robin asked as she flew alongside him.

"If they're keeping a low profile this time around," Robin began, recalling Ares' message about the Legion learning from its mistakes. If this were correct, then the Legion would make it exceptionally difficult to find their headquarters and track their actions. No…what the Legion sought would not be traceable. "Then the Legion is going to be leaving as quietly as they came. If we hurry, we might be able to catch them by surprise."

As they neared the high-security sectors, the three Titans screeched to a halt. Their hopes on catching the Legion by surprise had quickly gone up in smoke as a trio of the silver-metallic Spartan robots stood guard at the narrow corridor that the Titans needed to pass through. With shields and spears in hand, the three robotic warriors immediately spotted the three Titans and raised their shields up.

"None shall pass," the three Spartans spoke in unison.

"Hate to break it to you, but we're coming through," Robin calmly announced as the Titans took a fighting stance.

"Then you shall die."

"Not going to happen today. Titans, go!"

As Beast Boy transformed into a massive, green rhino, the Titans charged forth to meet their enemy. Likewise, the Spartans, with their shields raised high, ran out to engage the Titans and defend the corridor. The warriors collided in an echoing clash of flesh and steel. Unfortunately for Robin, he lacked the strength or size that he teammates did and was the only of the three to be bested in the initial charge. His attempt at a drop kick was plowed over by a solid hit from the Spartan's shield. As Robin was sent flipping through the air, the Spartan plunged its spear forth. Obscured by the cape, the spear just narrowly missed Robin's face before plunging straight into the ground. It was a brief moment of good fortune, as Robin's trajectory ended abruptly for the spear was pinning his cape to the floor and the very material that made it so strong was preventing it from ripping free.

"Blasted cape," Robin grumbled as he scrambled back to his feet. The Spartan left the spear where it was, instead drawing out an energy sword to finish the job that glowed a soft azure. With limited mobility, Robin had to duck and weave around the spear to avoid losing a limb or his head. As the Spartan swung with a wide sweep, Robin leapt into the air in a flip. Once more a blade just narrowly missed his head, singing a few hair tips and slicing through his cape…and the spear's shaft. The second he touched the ground, Robin used his reacquired mobility to finish what he had started moments ago – slamming the bottom of his steel-plated boots straight into the machine's face in a shower of sparks and metal splinters.

A short distance away, Starfire was still deadlocked with her opponent. With only a shield separating the two, both the Spartan and the Tamaranean pushed with all their might against their opponent. The grinds and creeks of the Spartan's metallic frame were matched by Starfire's loud grunts of exertion. Neither could gain significant headway against their opponent for every step back one warrior pushed, their opponent would soon push forward a step. Starfire had to find a way to break the deadlock; alas, her comrades were too busy fighting their own opponents to help her. Subtly, she shifted her force downwards, pushing the shield gradually lower and lower down the Spartan's body. She managed to force the shield down low enough to get under the Spartan's center of gravity. From that point on, it was merely Starfire lifting the Spartan off his feet and hurling him across the hall.

The robotic warrior landed with a loud crash, though recovered from the impact in time to raise his shield against the oncoming flurry of starbolts. They splashed against the polished, round shield like water against an umbrella, leaving the Spartan prepared for battle. Starfire rushed in to press the attack at closer ranges, narrowly dodging the Spartan's counter-attack thrust. Swinging the spear laterally, the Spartan caught the Titan off-guard and knocked her out of the air immediately.

"You shall not stop us," the Spartan remarked as it raised the spear high and plunged it at the fallen Titan.

Rolling to the side, the spear scratched the steel floor a few inches from her lower side. The stabs didn't let up though and Starfire had to keep rolling to stay alive. In order to lead his strike, the Spartan lunged forward for a final attack. The delay between strikes was enough for Starfire to push off the ground in mid-roll, sending her twirling back to her feet and just barely avoiding a potential lethal strike that now only skimmed across the small of her back. The very instant that her feet touched the ground she launched herself forward and crash-tackled the mechanical Spartan. Her comrades would lose sight of her as she and her opponent crashed through a nearby wall into parts unknown.

Beast Boy was having only marginally more success over his opponent compared to his comrades. Despite not having any technology like Robin or starbolts like Starfire, he did have the advantage of having several hundred pounds of body mass behind him. After being thrown across the hallway several times, the Spartan began to keep its distance from the hulking rhinoceros. It circled slowly around Beast Boy with its spear held up high. Both sides were cautious…waiting patiently until one decided to make the first move. Finally, the Spartan took a step forward and hurled its spear towards the Titan. The tactic was successful – too large to get out of the way, Beast Boy was forced to shift to a smaller form; in this case a rabbit. Now the Spartan was able to move in and smash the rodent with its shield.

The green rabbit bounced across the floor a couple of times before he managed to revert back to his human form. "Ow…these guys are a lot tougher than I remember," he groaned lightly. After hopping back to his feet, Beast Boy figured it was time to bust out the big guns and morphed into the terrifying tyrannosaurus rex. Of course, machines weren't programmed to know fear so the Spartan attacked without a moment's hesitation…only to wind up lodged between the powerful jaws of the dinosaur. Unfortunately, even the mighty chompers of prehistoric beasts were not enough to puncture the reinforced armour plating of this epitome of technology. Still, it was not likely to be a pleasant experience as Beast Boy ground the Spartan between its teeth, flailing it about wildly before finally tossing it into a nearby wall.

"Score one for nature," Beast Boy chuckled after reverting back to normal. Like all good things, though, it came to a very abrupt end when Starfire came bursting through the nearby wall and collided with Beast Boy.

"My friend…I am sorry if I have caused you harm," Starfire apologized as the two untangled.

"I've had worse," he groaned in response. "You go help Robin, I'll hold those two off." Starfire took one look over to the Titan leader, who was quickly losing ground against the better-armed Spartan. Despite being more agile and skilled, Robin simply couldn't deal out the damage needed to take out the Spartan, especially since it was difficult just to get a hit around its shield. Every strike he landed created a small shower of sparks…the sheer force of the blows made his muscles burn and his bones ache but he refused to slow down.

Nodding in acknowledgement, Starfire flew off to help out her teammate. The Spartan didn't even see her coming and a powerful starbolt struck it square in the back. The green energy blasted a hole straight through the thinner back armour, but it still was enough to stop the Spartan completely.

"Thanks for the assist Starfire," Robin quickly replied as he jumped onto the fallen Spartan's back and threw an explosive charge through the broken armour. Once he was done, Starfire took him by the arm and flew him to safety just as the charge blew the Spartan apart from the inside. "One down, two to go."

Alas, two Spartans was a bit more than Beast Boy could handle as his semi-conscious body sliding across the ground past Robin and Starfire. The two remaining Spartans, though slightly banged up now, were picking their shields up and preparing for round two. Suddenly, blue flames flashed brightly and the Spartans rocketed towards the Titans. The shield rushes caught them by surprise and two heroes were sent flying across the floor. Both Spartans transformed their free arm into sonic disruptors and fired them into some of the nearby infrastructure. Several beams and support columns began to buckle and collapse, cascading towards the two Titans.

"Get down!" Starfire shouted as she pushed Robin to the ground and stood over him to try and catch the falling debris. Alas, even her Tamaranean strength wasn't sufficient to withstand the falling debris and the two Titans became pinned beneath it – one on top of the other.

"I…don't suppose you could give me a little bit of a space right about now," Robin joked dryly, groaning through the pain of having Starfire and a couple hundred pounds of steel laying atop of him. Starfire managed to at least find some humour despite the gravity of the situation.

The two Spartans casually approached the trapped Titans; weapons trained upon their adversaries. Just as they fired, a shadow formed upon the ground in front of the Titans and from it emerged Raven. With a quick wave of her hand, a black barrier appeared and blocked the oncoming energy blasts.

"Raven! It's about time you showed up," Robin remarked, though relieved to see her.

"I had to make sure he came along too," she explained. Robin was a bit hesitant to actually believe she brought Cyborg along, but all doubt was put to rest as the cybernetic Titan leapt over the debris and towards the Spartans.

"Boo-yah!" His synthetic voice echoed through the entire building just as he crashed straight into the first Spartan. Cyborg's fist slammed so forcefully into its skull that it immediately crumpled and shattered into a hundred pieces. The second Spartan turned to take aim but as the sonic disruptor focused on Cyborg, it was met by his fist that shattered straight through the fragile weapon like it was nothing. Immediately afterwards, Cyborg grabbed the machine by the neck, bent it forward over his armed sonic cannon, and blew a hole the size of a basketball straight through its chest. The Spartan fell limp as he tossed it aside, taking a moment to savour the sight of their ruined bodies. Who said revenge was bittersweet?

"Cyborg, give me a hand over here," Raven called out as she started clearing some of the debris off her teammates. Cyborg didn't say a word and simply started helping free his friends. Aside from being a little battered from the debris, the other Titans were good to keep going.

"I…didn't think you'd actually come," Robin groaned as he was helped back to his feet.

"Yeah well, don't ever think that I'm not capable of doing my job," Cyborg promptly retorted, leaving Robin a little bit confused. "Now if you'll excuse me."

"I never said that," Robin answered, though Cyborg was out of earshot by then. "Raven, what did you tell him?"

"Oh…nothing much," Raven explained to Robin, letting out a slightly embarrassed chuckle. "I just had to stretch the truth a little bit."

"Whatever. We need to keep moving. Those Spartans were obviously serving as a rearguard." Once all the Titans were regrouped, he motioned for them to continue through the once-guarded hallway. However, just as they reached it, Cyborg motioned for them to stop – something about the corridor had even stopped Cyborg at the edge of it.

"It's too hot in there," Cyborg spoke before any of them had a chance to ask. "Something in there is emitting a lot of radiation."

"Radiation?" Robin repeated. Cyborg showed him the computer readout on his forearm, which clearly displayed the high levels of ionizing radiation coming from the depths of the facility. "Looks like they're trying to keep us from following them."

"It will take more than radiation to deter me," Starfire said boldly as she stepped forward. Of course the Titans knew that Starfire was immune to radiation…but Robin was uneasy sending Starfire in all alone.

Cyborg nodded before surprisingly continuing down the hall. "You three will be safe out here. Once we shut down the source, it should only take a few minutes for the area to clear up."

"Cyborg you can't go in there as well," Robin protested.

Cyborg didn't stop though; he simply pointed to his head. "Only thing alive is in here. With the armour plating I should be able to last an hour before I start reaching potentially dangerous levels."

"Cyborg, get back here!" Robin's shouts went ignored and it took the combined effort from Beast Boy and Raven to hold him back. "Starfire, you can't let him go in there."

"Over my dead body you will," Cyborg warned as Starfire was about to heed Robin's orders. Starfire had moved to block Cyborg's path…but listening to his words, she began to doubt whether she should even try. Though they carried no emotion, Cyborg's glowing red eyes still somehow managed to convey his determination and integrity. "Let me do this Star," he pleaded in a whisper.

"Then…we shall go together," Starfire finally answered after a long pause. Robin's protests could still be heard echoing down the hall but the two Titans paid no heed to it. It wasn't until the two disappeared from sight that Robin finally gave up trying to call them back. Until Cyborg and Starfire could stop the source of radiation, they were on their own…and with no idea what awaited them.


	10. Chapter 9: Remembrance

**Chapter Nine: Remembrance**

**"So…does this mean that you shall be staying with us Cyborg?"** Starfire asked hopefully as the pair traversed deeper into the complex. Emergency lights along the walls flashed red along with periodic computer warnings over the intercom about the radiation danger. It was an effective way to keep the Titans from pursuing, or at least divide their numbers.

"I…I'm not sure just yet," Cyborg admitted reluctantly and coldly. He hated to disappoint Starfire like this but he couldn't lie to he outright. The conversation went on hold as Cyborg halted in front of a strange device that had been mounted upon the wall. "This thing is emitting a huge amount of radiation," he explained after taking a quick scan of the device. It was too small to be the source of all their problems and it was likely that there were many more devices like this scattered throughout the building.

"What should we do with it?" Starfire asked curiously. Cyborg let his fist do the talking as he simply smashed the device on the wall.

"Keep an eye out for more of these," he instructed before continuing on with his mission. While Starfire was relieved to see her friend out of the Tower again, he seemed to be withdrawn and she worried that he might simply be acting out of revenge rather than a genuine concern for his friends or others. There was little she could do and she was reluctant to try as it might distract them from their mission. Sighing softly to herself, she trailed shortly behind her friend and made sure to keep an eye out for any small, circular devices mounted on the walls.

"Why did you come to help us? You do not need to push yourself because you feel have to," Starfire commented as she tried to keep conversation going between them. It was the only thing that could calm her worrying and the empty halls were showing few signs of recent activity. "We would have understood if you had wished to take time off for yourself."

"I know but…this is something that I have to do Starfire," Cyborg explained after taking a hefty pause to think about his response.

"Is it because you are hoping she will be here?"

Her words stopped Cyborg dead in his tracks, making Starfire feel as though she had pressed an issue that should've waited for a better time. Fortunately for both of them, the delay was brief and Cyborg's answer was brief. "A bit…"

"And what will you do if you do meet her?"

This time around, Cyborg's answer came without even a pause in his step. "Exactly what I promised I would do – stop her." On the one hand, Starfire was relieved that Cyborg was not going to be distracted by his former feelings for the person that Athena once was…but it seemed as though his feelings had all been replaced by feelings of vengeance. Needless to say, it wasn't any better for Cyborg. "Are you done with the questioning? Would you rather I go back into my room and wallow like a little child?"

"Um…no."

"Then could you please stop pestering me about it? I'll deal with this problem on my own accord, okay? You keep talking like that and anybody within a hundred feet is going to know we're coming."

Sadly, Cyborg did have a point at the end. She wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't inadvertently warned every Legionnaire in the building already. She promptly silenced herself and followed quietly behind her friend. As they approached the next bend in the hallways, finding and destroying a couple more devices on the way, they could hear the faint but distinct noise of conversation coming from the distance. They slowed their approach, keeping quiet as they stopped at the next turn.

"We lost contact with the four Spartans at the rear guard. All the Titans were reported present," a distinctly male voice, akin to the Spartans from earlier, spoke. "The radiation emitters will hold off some of the Titans but the Tamaranean will likely continue on and I would not dismiss the possibility of Cyborg continuing either."

Carefully, Cyborg let one finger slide out from around the corner, at which point the small camera in the tip of his finger folded out and he was able to watch the continuing conversation. As he had hoped, it was Athena conversing with a Spartan captain, though Cyborg had no knowledge of the more advance Spartan soldiers. "I'd be more disappointed if he didn't," Athena replied, curling a lock of her blonde hair idly with one finger. "This corridor serves as another choke point. Do you think you can hold your ground here?"

"Two Titans will be no match for me," the captain boasted.

"Good. Actually, though, feel free to let Cyborg through – he'll probably want to have a few words with me."

"Yes my lady."

Behind the pair was a massive vault door that sealed away the most valued developments of the facilities' staff. Composed of more than a foot worth of solid steel, likely reinforced with several foot-thick retracting steel bars, the near-impregnable door would surely stand in the way of any run-of-the-mill criminal. However, the Legion was anything but run-of-the-mill. Athena simply walked up to the vault door, deployed both arm-mounted energy blades, and proceeded to carve a large hole through the center of the door. Once cut out, it only took one swift strike to the center to knock the piece of out of the door and grant her access to the other side.

"Okay Starfire, you take care of the big gold guy and I'll go after Athena," Cyborg whispered after retracting the spy camera.

"Are you sure it is a wise course of action for us to separate?"

"Time is vital," Cyborg explained. "Just be careful."

Starfire recalled how difficult fighting one of the Spartans just a few moments ago but she wasn't about to back down from a fight, especially when her friend was depending on it. Though the element of surprise wasn't on her side, Starfire still had speed and strength on her side. Starfire stepped out from around the corner and rushed the Spartan as fast as she could. Though the Titans were expected, the Spartan wasn't anticipating the attack so soon and only just managed to raise his shield in time to block the impact. The force of the collision carried both combatants into the wall next to the vault door; after which Starfire did the best she could to keep the Spartan pinned against the wall while Cyborg hurried to the opening in the vault door.

It was a definite tight fit for Cyborg as he tried to squeeze his hefty shoulders through the small opening. "Certainly a tight fit," he grumbled before finally pushing through, though leaving large scrap markings on his shoulders.

"You cannot stop us!" The Spartan captain growled trying to break free from his opponent. "There is no denying the will of the Legion. The golden age of the Titans is coming to an end!"

"I shall deny you as long as I draw breath!" Starfire angrily growled in response, twisting and prying on the Spartan's shield. The metal bindings of the shield began to cry out from the torque until finally they gave way with a loud crack. With the Spartan's shield in her hands, Starfire swung it with all her might and smashed the bowl-shaped shield against her enemy. There was a near-deafening crash that resonated through the hall as the Spartan was knocked off its feet and sent sliding across the floor. The edge of the shield that struck the Spartan had flattened and split along two lines that left a wedge-shaped piece lying upon the floor. As the Spartan tried to get back to its feet, Starfire struck it again with another powerful blow the shield; this time the shield split down the center and shattered into numerous fragments, with the largest piece still in Starfire's hands.

Gripping the shield fragment so tightly that the broken edges cut into her flesh, she drove the jagged point right for the Spartan's throat. Sparks flew as it grabbed hold of the fragment, slowing it to a halt, just inches shy of its relatively unarmoured throat. "You are fortunate that I am not under orders to kill you right away," the Spartan sneered before driving a knee into Starfire, followed by a strong push with both legs that launched Starfire into the air. It took her a few seconds to stabilize her flight, which was just in time as the Spartan hurled the shield fragment at her. It grazed through her hair before ricocheting of the ceiling. While the shield shard was easy to dodge, the charge Spartan was a bit more difficult. The robotic warrior's shoulder slammed straight into her chest and drove her straight into the ceiling. The blow knocked the wind out of her and her semi-conscious body fell a few feet before the Spartan punted her like a soccer ball down the hall.

Her gut was killing her at this point, making it painful to pushed herself up onto her knees. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Spartan descending quickly towards her and her first instinct was to dive out of the way. Her instincts proved to be right as the Spartan smashed knee first where Starfire once lay, actually managing to leave a deep indentation of his knee and fist in the floor.

"Ever since I was crafted by Hephaestus' hands, I have yearned for an opportunity to prove my worth to my lords," the Spartan mused as it pried its fist from the hole in the floor. Starfire scrambled to get off the ground but as she tried to lift off she was grabbed by the leg and slammed into the ground a couple times. "Perhaps if I break your will to fight now, they will reward me…"

Greed and arrogance - it seemed that even the lowly soldiers of the Legion had an expansive personality and sentience. If it weren't for the tremendous amount of pain she was in, Starfire might've wondered what kind of reward could be motivating a machine, not to mention what it meant by breaking her will to fight. Why wasn't he just charged with killing her? Being slammed into the ground a third time, Starfire managed to shake her disorientation long enough to fire a concentrated energy beam into the Spartan's forearm, forcing it to release her. Nearby Starfire spotted a broken shard of the shield; as the Spartan tried to grab her again, Starfire took hold of the shard and rose to her feet so that she could stab the metal shard into the most vulnerable spot she could find – through one of the optic lens. She immediately fired another starbolt into the wounded Spartan that knocked him back several feet. It wasn't much but it was enough space for Starfire to take a moment to catch her breath safely.

"It's a good thing machine cannot feel pain or that might've actually hurt," the Spartan taunted as it pulled the shard out and tossed it aside. "A shame the same can't be said for you."

Slowly, the two warriors squared off once more. Both sported the fresh scars of their battle and both were unwilling to back down. Fresh starbolts charged in both hands while the Spartan clenched his fists tightly.

----------------------------------

Despite having only passed through the vault door shortly after Athena, Cyborg was having a lot of difficulty finding her. Though only a handful of storage rooms separated the vault door from the inner chamber that held the Olympus super computer, it seemed that Athena had managed to give Cyborg the slip. His intuition told him that she hadn't made a straight-line for her objective though. No…she was waiting for him. Somewhere in the piles of old metal crates, shelves, and glass storage pods, Athena was hiding…stalking him in the darkness. She might've cut the power to the area but Cyborg's new optics didn't need light for him to see anymore. His sensors couldn't penetrate through all the interference created by the radiation emitters and the background electronics but he was more then willing to search her out the old fashion way. If his sensors were down, then she was going to have the same problem.

"I certainly love the new look," Athena's deceptively sweet voice echoed through the open air. Cyborg tried to pinpoint where the voice was coming from but when it directed his attention to an empty region of the room, he knew that she was managing to keep her location a secret from him. "I'm betting you're not entirely machine…yet. Still, you are a lot closer than you were before – a good improvement to say the least." Cyborg didn't dignify her taunts with an answered and merely kept scanning his surroundings for any sign of her. "Aw, no empty threats? No witty remarks? No comments of contempt? I am disappointed Cyborg – I was hoping your friends had been able to save your sense of humour; it was one of your better qualities."

"Stop playing around Athena!" Cyborg finally shouted. "You might've gotten away with using my emotions to get the upper hand the first time but I'm not making that mistake again. Atalanta is gone so don't bother trying to play that card on me anymore."

"Come now Cyborg, why would you want a weak little robot like her?"

"She was a better person than you could ever be."

"But we're not people – we're machines. We're walking, talking computers - an over-rated palm pilot. A fake. We're a poor imitation of the real thing. What's sad for you, though, is that you're more like us now. You've got chips in your brain, circuit relaying every command, circuit boards where your organs should be, and the only that makes you who you are is sitting in a little jar inside your titanium skull hooked up to a life support machine. Who's to say your friends are even telling you the truth? You could be running off a CPU copy of your personality – the same sort of technology I used to make that clone of you so long ago. You're becoming what you've always feared you would become…a machine. How long do you think it's going to be before you start losing what last vestiges of your humanity?"

Her taunting slanders had grated on Cyborg's nerves long enough. "Oh shut up!" He shouted in a fury as he blasted his sonic cannon in the general direction of the voice, only to blow a few boxes to splinters. "Being a machine doesn't mean I have to give up humanity – it's not necessarily just a state of what I am physically. Atalanta showed me that it took more than just the sum of your parts to determine what you are…it's a shame that such a brilliant mind had to be squandered by being manipulated by a conniving, underhanded bitch like you!"

"Well, you've still got that temper of yours," Athena's voice continued from a new direction. "It's a shame that you think your new body to be a curse upon you. You don't realize how much trouble I've saved you. With your old body, once your technology became obsolete, you'd have to endure days upon days of reconstruction to gut your old components and replace them with newer circuitry. Now, though, you can just build a new body and then plop your brain into it. You'll never have to worry about being obsolete again."

"And I'm supposed to thank you for that?"

"Oh no," she mused, this time her voice coming from much closer by. Cyborg quickly turned about to discover Athena standing only a foot away from him now. "You could thank me for this though…" her voice trailed off as she lightly ran her fingertips across Cyborg's faceplate. His world sudden went black for an instant and when his vision returned, he was no longer standing in the middle of a storage room…but a vast green meadow. The sun was shining brightly above him and a breeze was blowing across the field…and he could feel both of those things too. Shocked by the sudden sensations, he looked down to his hands to see that they had become his real hands once more, down to every little wrinkle and crease in his skin. A few lightly palpations against his face and he realized that it too had been reverted back to its original state.

More importantly, instead of an armour-clad mechanical woman standing before her, he saw Athena standing before him wearing a flowing, yellow summer dress. Her hair was dancing to the wind's tempo and the warmth of her fingertips against his face felt exactly how his memories recalled it from long ago.

"Wh-what did you do?" Cyborg stuttered at first before she silenced him by placing her fingertips over his lips.

"Whoever designed your cybernetics is an amateur at best. They haven't taken full advantage of how adaptable the human brain is. All I'm doing is changing what your sensory bio-circuitry is telling your brain," she explained, moving her fingers aside and leaning in slightly. "Your brain feels whatever those circuits and computers tell it to feel…and I can make it feel as real as you want it to," she whispered softly before pressing her lips against his. Perhaps if it weren't for the intoxicating sensation that he thought he would never experience he might've realized that she was likely just trying to manipulate him again. For that brief moment, though, his emotions overrode his usual rationale. "You might think I've taken away something good but how happy were you really stuck between machine and man? In this form, though, I can give you back everything that you thought you had lost when you first became Cyborg."

"What are you talking about? This is…just an illusion in my mind."

"Remember how warm and soft I felt when you first held my hand?" she asked rhetorically, emphasizing the point by sliding her hand into his. "Remember how I laughed when you poked me in the side or how I flinched when you pricked me? I can give you a body just like mine with all the sensations you've been half-deprived of for years." He remembered back to the days when he first met Atalanta; he went over her advanced cybernetics with a fine-tooth comb in hopes of figuring out the technology behind it with the faint hope that he could apply to himself. When he thought Atalanta had been destroyed, those hopes had disappeared along with it. With those possibilities resurfacing, it was hard to admit that he wasn't tempted at least a little bit. Living with the Titans had allowed him to accept who and what he was but Athena was offering to help him regain a part of what he had learned to live without.

"What do you want from me?"

"My family might object but…I don't think they'd disagree too much if you were to join our little family."

"I…I don't what to say…"

"Now a thank you might be in order."

"I have something better," Cyborg said softly. What he saw and felt might've been an illusion created by electronic hacking but he knew that the girl standing in front of him was real. Taking Athena by surprise, Cyborg sucker-punched her across the jaw and sent the Legionnaire general across the room and crashing into a shelf unit filled with various pieces of equipment. With that blow, the illusion disappeared and he was returned to the real world. "You can take your offer and stuff it!"

"Still just as much of a fool as before," Athena growled as she got back to her feet, using some metal crates for support. "I could've made you into something great!"

Cyborg said nothing as he simply picked up one of the fallen pieces of equipment, a long pole-like drilling device of unknown purposes, and approached Athena confidently. "My friends already have," he simply answered as he drove the lance-like device forward, skewering Athena through one of her wings and pinning her to the crate behind her. Growling angrily, Athena activated her energy blades and attempted to attack Cyborg but by being pinned to the wall, her mobility was limited and her attacks easy to predict and block. After giving her a few quick punches, Cyborg grabbed the nearest, heaviest thing he could get his hands onto and struck Athena so hard that she was torn from her pinned wing and sent crashing into another crate.

"You are going to pay for that," Athena sneered, retracting her good wing so she wasn't off-balance.

"The funny thing is, I already see myself as being dead…so there's really nothing you can do to me that you haven't already done."

"We'll see about that!" Athena shouted as she deployed her sonic disruptor and blasted Cyborg with a well-aimed shot. His new body armour provided a lot better protection against Athena's energy-based weapons as he recovered with little more than a few scratches upon his armour. He promptly returned fire with his own upgraded sonic cannon that forced Athena to dive for cover from the resulting explosion. Cyborg was already sprinting across the room for his own cover as the two continued exchanging gunfire. Falling into a dive for the last section of cover, Cyborg narrowly missed a wide sweep from a cutting laser that sliced the crate he hid behind in half.

Rising to one knee to return fire, he was surprised when he saw no sign of Athena anymore. A growing blue glow around him alerted Cyborg to the danger coming in from above. Athena's energy blade cleaved through what was left of the steel crate, just missing her target by a few inches but making short work of his old cover. Dashing forward, Athena's quick swing and stabs carved serious damage through his frontal armour and he caught a fast stab through one of his shoulders. Thank goodness he didn't feel pain anymore. Working quickly to counter-attack, Cyborg intercepted both her arms and overpowered her to drive both of her blades into the ground, leaving her defenseless for a rising knee strike. He didn't hesitate for a moment to strike Athena while she lay upon the ground, stomping loudly upon her left hand and shattering the energy blade emitter in her hand.

Lifting both feet up, Athena promptly fired both rocket boosters in her feet to knock Cyborg away from her. It bought her the time she needed to inspect the extent of the damage she had received, which was minimal but enough to render the energy blade useless for the time being. Solid blades had always been more reliable than these fragile energy emitters. After flexing her fingers to make sure they still worked, Athena deployed her sonic disruptor again and charged Cyborg again. He ducked and weaved around her blade and close-range energy blasts, while at the same time trying to hit her with his own sonic cannon. The few blows they landed was the occasional punch or kick, such as when Cyborg sidestepped past Athena's blade and drove his elbow into her face…only to be counter-attacked with a swift kick to the jaw. Standing only a short distance apart, both combatants saw an ideal opportunity for another point-blank energy blast; unfortunately, they fired their cannons into each other only a few inches apart. The resultant explosion rocketed Cyborg and Athena to opposite ends of the room with twist, blackened metal stumps where their cannons used to be.

"Dammit! That arm was brand new!" Athena shouted bitterly as she jumped back to her feet. Cyborg answered with a volley from his shoulder-mounted rocket pods, peppering Athena's position in a flurry of small-scale explosions. The smoke was swept aside by her retracting wing as Athena charged again. Still armed with one energy blade, her attacks were just as vicious as before. She was smaller and faster than Cyborg, making it difficult for him to avoid the slashes and often settling for having the tip of the blade drag through his armour. Rattling his brain with a swift roundhouse kick to the cranial plates and then thrust her blade through his lower abdomen. She could've done a great deal more damage except Cyborg grabbed hold of her wrist and held the blade in place.

"If you're going to try and kill me…do it right the first time!" Cyborg growled as he over-powered his opponent, pulling her arm to the side, which tore the blade out of his body. He twisted her arm around and forced the blade back upon her, piercing it through her back before she able to shut the blade off. Upon releasing her, the wounded machine collapsed to the ground in a heap. Cyborg could see how much she struggled just to roll herself onto her back, equating to the sheer level of damage he must have just inflicted upon her. Cyborg pushed any pity he might've been feeling to the side and armed his remaining sonic cannon. "You should have never come back," he growled bitterly, placing a foot upon her chest to keep the girl pinned. The end of the gun began to light up as he put the gun into her face.

"Wait!" Athena pleaded the moment she realized the precarious situation she was now in. "I lied to you about her Cyborg."

"What are you talking about?"

"She's not dead Cyborg…her program was never deleted."

Cyborg didn't allow this potential news to waver his resolve though, nor did he lower his weapon even a millimeter. "Keep talking…I'll give you ten seconds to convince me."

"I was never able to purge her program from my systems. I underestimated her abilities and she managed to hard-wire herself into my central processors and memory cores, including the central core I had used to keep my ghost program secured when I let her take over. I can't take her out without ripping apart the hardware that makes me who I am. She used my own safeguards against me to keep her program active." She took more than the ten seconds Cyborg had allotted but he stopped caring when he heard Athena explain what she meant.

"Why should I believe you?" Cyborg managed to reply while retaining his same level of determination and integrity.

"Because admitting this means admitting that she managed to beat me…and that she's a lot stronger than I gave her credit. She's why I couldn't bring myself to kill you; I have access to more than just her factual memories…but what she felt during all those memories as well. I look at you and I can feel what she felt when she looked at you…what she still feels when she sees you through my eyes."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

Athena simply dawned that devilishly smirk of hers. "Because I needed to distract you for a few seconds."

There was a flick of distortion to Cyborg's side, which lasted only long enough for him to realize that something was amiss. The second time he saw the flicker his good arm was sliced clean off at the elbow by an unseen foe. Right away Cyborg knew he was dealing with the invisible soldiers of the Legion – the shade. Literally disarmed now, Cyborg stumbled back a few feet before a powerful electrical discharge, assumingly from the shade, knocked him to the ground and out of the fight.

"Took you long enough," Athena grumbled as she stumbled back to her feet. "Take me back to Erebus…quickly."

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"The machine had me pinned underneath a section of the vault door when it simply walked away as though it had more important duties to attend to." Cyborg could hear Starfire's voice faintly in the background. Everything was still dark but he could make out the noise of tools and footsteps all around him. If he had to wager a guess from what he could last recall, he was probably back in the tower with his teammates. Sure enough, to answer his intuition, his optics finally came back online and he was right where he thought he was. He had seen his bedroom ceiling enough times to recognize it instantly. Hunch over beside him was Robin, who was doing the best he could to repair the damage to his systems. "Robin, I believe our friend is awake," Starfire commented when she noticed Cyborg lit optics were staring at her.

"Guess I'm better at this than I thought," Robin remarked as he leaned back so his friend could see him better. "Um…how are you feeling?"

"I'm…fine," Cyborg answered slowly. He wasn't quite sure how to answer that question to begin with. "What happened?"

"When the Legion soldier left me alone, I continued to search for you. I found you lying in the center one of the chambers." Cyborg noticed that his alien friend was sporting a number of bandages upon her head, hands, and stomach but aside from what appeared to be superficial injuries, she was fine. "I was so worried that you had been mortally wounded that I carried you back out to our friends for immediate help."

"And ignored the fact that she lost almost a pint of blood in the process," Raven quipped from a seat in the corner of the room with a book in hand. "She almost passed out when she reached us."

"So what did I miss?" Cyborg asked as he sat up on the repair bed. He noticed he was still one arm short of a full set but at least the damaged components had been removed and it was simply a matter of putting a new one on. "And how long have I been out?"

"After we recovered you, we searched the rest of the complex and found no sign of the Legion. It seems like whatever you did manage to force them to high tail it out of there." The approving smile on Robin's face slowly faded. "But…um, you've been unconscious for almost three days. It's been…more than the time we agreed to." There was a long air of silence in the room. All of his friends looked to him for those few words that would either make or break their day. If he could've smiled, he would've done that to reassure his friends so instead he simply muttered a few words.

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere," he answered quietly, prompting a huge sigh of relief from his friends. "I don't suppose I could get some privacy now, hm? I can finish the repairs from here." His friends didn't put up any resistance to his request. They were more than satisfied that he had decided to stay with them. One by one, his friends filed out of the room, except for Raven who didn't leave right away. She was probably the only one he didn't mind if she stayed or left.

"What changed your mind?" Raven asked idly, not usually one for such details but something about his change of heart was puzzling to her. "You were ready to put a blaster to your head when you left and now you've changed your mind. Why?"

"Haven't you ever heard the saying about staring at a gift horse in the mouth?"

"I'm making sure you're not doing this for the wrong reasons. She's still alive isn't she?"

"How did you-?"

"Only thing that makes sense," Raven interrupted promptly. "You've clung to that hope for the past year. It's a noble idea but…don't put all your hopes on that. She's still your enemy Cyborg and I don't want to see you get hurt."

Cyborg mentally sighed as he picked up some tools and started his repair work. He knew it wasn't the smartest of ideas but it was something that could keep him going for the time being. His conversation with Athena had reminded him of a few things though and some lessons he shouldn't have allowed himself to forget. If he had be willing to accept Atalanta as something more than just circuits and metal, then so could he. He could find meaning once again.

"I'll be fine Raven," he finally answered. "It just took me a little while to realize what I would've been leaving behind."

"Well, it's good to have you back Cyborg. I really would've missed you if you left."


	11. Chapter 10: Returning Home

**Chapter Ten: Returning Home**

**"I got careless, okay? **Cyborg's always been strong but I didn't think he'd have that kind of determination so soon after what I did him," Athena grumbled as two Spartans carefully lifted the wounded Legionnaire general onto a repair bed. With only one arm, one wing, and a relatively large hole through her lower body, Athena had a lot of trouble returning to base and needed to be carried most of the distance. While incapable of feeling actual pain, her frustrations with being reduced to such a paltry condition was very evident. Alongside the table, holding a large laser torch in one hand was the Legion's handyman, was the versatile Hephaestus, who was more than accustomed to Athena's temperament.

"How the hell can a technologically inferior machine like him actually manage to beat me so easily?"

"Well if you'll recall m'lady, Cyborg was built for combat. You, on the other hand, are not. Combat is a secondary function for you while your tactical and leadership subroutines are top-notch," Hephaestus explained, powering the laser cutter while paying little attention to what Athena actually was talking about. Arguably Hephaestus had the most patient out of all the generals but when you spent most of your days listening to the generals bickering about damaged armour plates and burnt out circuitry one had to develop such a trait in order to stay on everyone's good side. "Let us not forget about your back-seat personality constantly clouding your judgment."

"Damn straight," Athena nodded as she tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down onto the table by Hephaestus. "Screw toying with him. There's not going to be any mercy the next time I see that big hunk!"

"I'm believe you mean 'lunk' m'lady," Hephaestus promptly corrected.

"Um…yes. That's what I meant to say," she muttered shyly and nearly inaudibly. As always, Hephaestus maintained an air of respect and dignity with his 'patients' and simply focused on his work. First, he had to repair the damage to her central body, as it was a far more critical injury. He needed to shave off the damaged armour edges, followed by removing the severed wire, burnt circuit boards, and other damaged components. Fortunately for Athena, the energy blade simply melted and seared everything it touched, leaving a very 'clean' wound in terms of robotic damage and made it easy for Hephaestus to start repairs. The fingertips of his free hand opened up, allowing a pair of wire-thin tentacles to emerge. The narrow, more agile digits were able to slither into the smaller nooks of her infrastructure to extract the damaged components.

"Do not fret Athena. That was just the other part of you talking. The damage to your systems might be making it a little easier for her to influence your thought processes. Just try to focus on the sound of my voice."

"How long is this going to take?" she finally spoke up, more boldly this time around.

"One arm is missing, the other damaged, and you have a plasma blade wound through the lower abdomen – you're not going to be fighting any wars any time soon," he answered frankly. "I could've replaced your arms with your old ones but I had already broken those down into scrap material and I am still in the process of constructing your spare parts. Needless to say, you have chosen a poor opportunity to get yourself beaten into submission." Athena frowned at the remark but chose not to make a comment about it. Hephaestus might not be a warrior or general like Athena and her siblings but there was no refuting his competency when it came to mechanics.

"I take it that you were unsuccessful in reaching the super computer?"

"A minor setback," Athena answered. "It is nothing of concern. We move to the contingency plan and we continue with the operation. Have my brothers reported in yet?"

"Ares is already en route for the next phase of the operation and the Second Regiment has reported reaching full operational status in Europe. It should only be a few hours before Operation Prometheus begins."

"What level of resistance are we expecting?"

"Armed forces will be able to respond within an hour of combat operations. Initial resistance will be minimal at best. However, investigations have reported that this individual might be capable of hindering our operations." Hephaestus took a moment to glide back from the repair table and directed Athena's attention to an activating video screen. A young woman's image appeared upon the screen with various boxes of vital information appearing around it. At the very bottom, in large bold letters, was 'Jacqueline L'Armor'.

"Find out everything you can about this girl," Athena ordered with a malicious undertone. "Tell the Second Regiment to get their new…recruit ready for deployment. I think this little heroine might be a good first test for him."

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"We appreciate anything you can do for us Miss L'Armor. This is a very urgent matter."

"Oui, oui. Send ze plane and I'll be zere as fast as I can," Jacqueline nodded in reluctance before flicking off the screen for the video satellite conversation she was sharing with a top French official. With a heavy sigh, the girl collapsed onto her small bed and stared aimlessly at the ceiling. Though the rest of her fellow Argonauts had made temporary quarters for themselves in the Titans East Tower, Jacqueline had volunteered to stay onboard the Argo to make sure that nothing happened in their absence. Her room was humble much like herself – small pictures and newspaper articles hung from the walls while small trinkets and heirlooms of her family adorned the few, loaded bookshelves she had.

It was warm like it always was on the Argo. There was little temperature control within its halls and most of what they did have was reserved for the compartments housing heat-sensitive equipment. As such, the inhabitants relied heavily on fans for relief. She casually unzipped her vest, letting it flop open so that the fans could cool off her chest and stomach – a most enjoyable sensation to say the least. Crossing her legs, she blew her bangs out of her eyes and resumed the much-needed 'thinking' that she had forsaken so many times before.

"What am I going to do?" she muttered softly to nobody in particular. A precarious situation had fallen onto her lap and unfortunately she was reluctant to face the problematic issues that lay beneath its surface. Slowly, she reached over to the screen across from her bed and began pounding away at the keys until she finally found the computer commands she wanted.

"Come on…pick up somebody," she mentally pleaded as a little animated phone rang on the computer screen. Finally, the screen flickered to the face of Robin sitting in the Titans Tower living room.

"Afternoon Jacq, what's going on?" Robin began. Since Jacqueline did not make social calls very often Robin was certain there was something important about this one.

"Zere's…um, been a bit of a development back home," Jacqueline began slowly and delicately. "You see I sort of just got a call from some of my old family friends from back home. Zere are reports of Legionnaire troops in ze region and zey kinda want me to come and deal with it."

Robin cocked an eyebrow for a second before finally replying. "Okay that's pretty bad. What are you planning to do?"

"Well I kind of have to go but that means I have to leave my team short-handed. Plus, let's face it, if there are Legionnaire troops there I'm going to be a little short-handed," Jacqueline added before she chuckled nervously. It had always been tough for Jacqueline to admit that she was in over her head and asking for help was even harder. "I could…sort of…use some back-up. I don't want to ask Blackfire to give up another team member for this so I was kind of hoping you could spare somebody for me."

While Robin didn't totally understand Jacqueline's reluctance to ask for help, he was more than willing to give it when she finally did spit it out. She presented a strong argument – there was more to protect at the Titans East Tower than in the west and having to sacrifice another team member would be too risky. "You've kind of caught us at a bad time too. We just encountered Athena and the Legion only a few hours ago. If they're active in the city I need every hand I can get as well. Have you tried calling one of our Honourary Titans?"

"You mean call for help from people I've never really met before and certainly have never worked with before? Zere's a brilliant idea. How about I ask ze first person I see on ze streets?" Jacqueline retorted with clear reluctance to the idea. Before joining up with the Titans and Argonauts, Jacqueline was used to working entirely on her own. She had always dreamed of being a big-shot solo hero with the possibility of adopting a sidekick or partner when she was older and more experienced. Being a part of a five-person team was definitely not in her visions of the future. Nonetheless, she enjoyed the opportunity to work and live with so many close friends of hers. "And…um, zere is a chance zere are some personal matters zat might get involved. Zere are some zings I wouldn't want strangers getting involved with."

"If you don't mind me asking, what sort of personal matter don't you want them knowing about?"

"It's my father. He's a bit…um, eccentric," she explained with an embarrassed chuckle. "Zere are some lingering issues between us zat I wouldn't want strangers to get dragged into. You guys I trust and all zat and…um, you understand what I'm talking about?"

"Say no more Jacqueline. I understand entirely," Robin reassured her. Unlike most of the Titans and their allies, Jacqueline was one of the few who not only had a family but also still kept in touch with them, or him in Jacqueline's case. "I guess I could spare one member for you – but if you run into any trouble you let us know, deal?"

"Deal. I know ze Cyborg incident is difficult and I hate leaving you short-handed."

"I think the worst of it is behind us now," Robin sighed lightly. "I wonder who I should send…"

"How about Raven?"

"She's been helping Cyborg with adjusting to his new condition. I don't think it'd be a good idea to separate them right now. How about Beast Boy?"

"Zat'd be a great idea," she replied, hiding her disappointment. "Could you ask him about it? I am in a bit of a hurry."

"Just give me a second," Robin excused, putting Jacqueline on hold. In all honesty, Jacqueline really had hoped that she could have Raven accompany her on the trip. It wasn't so much about Jacqueline felt towards Raven but more that she figured Raven would be able to better handle her father's…peculiarities, not to mention the other difficulties that will arise when her father meets Beast Boy. On the bright side, at least Beast Boy would be a lot more fun to have around. Beast Boy would certainly enjoy the French countryside a lot more than Raven even though this was no time for a vacation. Tapping her chin idly, the French heroine hoped that her teammates would be okay with her sudden departure. She hated leaving her friends a hero short but Jacqueline had commitments to her homeland that she couldn't ignore.

Finally, Jacqueline's wait came to an end as Beast Boy came to deliver his answer personally. The ear-to-ear grin was enough of an answer for Jacqueline, much to her relief. "Are we really going to France?" he asked excitedly.

"Heh. I wish I could say it was under better circumstances but zat is correct," she explained to him. "If you can get over here as soon as possible, I would really appreciate it."

"I'll pack my bags immediately!" Before Jacqueline could even tell him that they wouldn't be in France for that long, Beast Boy had already sprung out of his seat and dashed off to his room. At least he was enthusiastic about it. With one problem out of the way, now came the matter of breaking the news to Blackfire and the rest of her team. Hopefully, having one less member wouldn't put the Argonauts into too much of a disadvantage. So long as nothing complicated broke down, Jacqueline's services wouldn't be needed.

Sighing softly, Jacqueline looked over to a small, framed picture that stood upon her desk. It was an old picture of her alongside her large, burly father. They both looked so happy back then. It had been years since Jacqueline had last seen her father and there had been some…unresolved issues since the last time. Jacqueline wanted to confront her father about certain things but never could get the courage to do it. She had hoped Raven could've been that emotional support for her but Beast Boy would be able to just the same.

"Guess I should get packing."

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"Wake up Beast Boy."

The light nudges against his shoulder stirred the young Titan from his lengthy afternoon nap. He let out a huge yawn and stretched in his seat before casting his gaze out the window. Sure enough, just like Jacqueline said, he could see the airport tarmac and terminal…except that it was a military base rather than a civilian airport. He had forgotten the kind of connections that Jacqueline had with the French government and the lengths that they went to whenever she was brought in for some sort of special assignment.

"Are we really in France already?" Beast Boy asked groggily.

Jacqueline simply replied rhetorically, "It's a supersonic jet, how long did you think it would take?"

The two heroes quickly got out of their seats and headed for the exit. Awaiting them at the bottom of the stairs were a few junior and senior officers ready to brief the pair immediately. Jacqueline promptly took charge of the situation, addressing the group of officers upon reaching the tarmac, though much to Beast Boy's dismay it was entirely in French. As Beast Boy dumbly watched from the sidelines, the officers began talking up a windstorm with Jacqueline; they pulled out dozen of photos and reports from the file folders they were carrying and Jacqueline took a long look over every one of them. It seemed all so very professional to Beast Boy – a sort of professionalism that he had rarely seen in the normally laid-back Jacqueline. There were days that Jacqueline took her job about as seriously as Robin did...perhaps even more. It was only every once in a while that Beast Boy was able to pick up the occasional 'Legion' in their discussion.

During the length of the conversation, Beast Boy couldn't help but notice that the officers were glancing over to him in near-regular intervals. He also could've sworn he heard his name be mention once or twice. It was always annoying when people talked about you behind your back but it was even worse when they did it right in front of you.

Then the officers said something that seemed to tick the French heroine off, as her voice suddenly grew in intensity and a slightly frightened look overcame the officers. Jacqueline had rarely been the type to react so negatively to something verbal, which only left Beast Boy hoping that whatever was wrong with her didn't get directed at him later. After what seemed to be enough ranting to put a cynical blogger to shame, Jacqueline finally fell silent with only a lingering, irate glare to frighten the officers to an early departure. They left their file folders with her before they quickly got out of there.

"Should I be scared?" Beast Boy cautiously asked.

"You'll be fine," replied the still irritable Jacqueline. "Zey felt zat we would be better off calling for help and you might not be sufficient help. Apparently zey spot a hundred or so Legionnaires and zey zink we need to break out ze entire army."

"A…hundred?" Beast Boy whimpered as his spirits suddenly took a nosedive. "Not to agree with them but maybe they have a point."

"I did not come all zis just to call up ze cavalry," Jacqueline suddenly snapped at her friend. "If it gets serious zen I'll call but until zen, we can handle it ourselves. Zose idiots do not understand zat ze Legion just loves to draw our attention away from ze important zings. We call everyone over here and I'll guarantee we'll return to a smoking crater zat used to be Jump City!" It took her a moment to realize that she had actually frightened her friend with her sudden outburst and the young heroine promptly dropped her head in shame. Her friend was not the person she was supposed to be angry with and she immediately felt horrible about yelling at him.

After taking some time to ease her temper and giving her friend time to recover, Jacqueline continued in a more polite manner. "I am sorry for being so harsh," she apologized softly. "I do not like asking for help without sufficient reason."

"Heh, don't worry about it," Beast Boy quickly forgave much to his friend's relief. "So…um, what do we do now? It's your mission after all."

"First off, we set up a base of operations. Secondly, I'm going to get somezing to eat and lastly, I'm going to take a bath. I'll use zat time to zink of what our next step will be."

"Normally I'm the last person to speak out against doing nothing but…that doesn't sound like investigating." Beast Boy didn't think he'd be the one trying to keep the pair focused on the job but Jacqueline could go from being as determined as Robin to be even lazier than Beast Boy…as hard as that was to believe possible.

"Trust me, when tomorrow rolls around you'll be glad for taking zis time to rest in preparation. We might not get much sleep after zat," she regrettably explained. Her tone suggested that she was aware of something to come that would make anybody nervous.

After shifting her guitar into a more comfortable position upon her back, Jacqueline motioned for her friend to follow along. It was time for them to get a move on and they had a long way to go. She led her friend to a small sectioned-off region of the tarmac where something beneath a large tarp had been set up for her in advance. Whatever it was wasn't very large; not even two meters long and barely even a meter high but whatever it was it made Jacqueline grin like never before.

"Oh it's been too long my precious," she mused before pulling off the tarp. Standing before Beast Boy was a truly awe-inspiring sight. Encased in a vibrant, polished body frame, cherry red no less, that shimmered in the sunlight, was the mother of all mopeds.

"Is…that what I think it is?" Beast Boy asked, though his voice trembled at being in the presence of such magnificence.

"Not quite my little green friend," Jacqueline explained as she patted him on the shoulder. Strutting up to the moped, Jacqueline teasingly sat upon the moped's seat and kicked her legs up onto the handlebars. "Zis is ze one of a kind, special limited edition, custom-built Tidwell zree zousand – built by hand by yours truly. Its turbo-charged engine puts out more power zan you can shake a stick at and can outrun almost anyzing on ze road. Nitrous injection systems, ten-inch reinforced wheels, full armoured body frame, and ze latest in navigational technology! Beast Boy, I give you ze chariot of ze Jack of All Trades."

"She's beautiful," he swooned in amazement and stared at his own reflection in the wheel hub. "You never told me you were a moped enthusiast."

"Enthusiast? I'm a moped poster girl," Jacqueline bragged while striking a pose upon her moped. "You should've seen me on ze cover of Moped Monthly a few years ago. Zose zings just flew off ze shelves. Now hop on!"

After catching the helmet she threw him, Beast Boy eagerly jumped onto the back of the moped. Jacqueline let out a light chuckle while fitting her helmet on securely. "Be sure to hold on tightly," she warned him just before pulling her goggles down.

"How bad could it be?" Beast Boy chuckled as he took hold of his seat.

Jacqueline, however, pried his hands off the seat and instead placed them around her waist. Then she pushed the ignition, prompting a pair of small rocket thrusters to extend from the back of the moped. They began to hum loudly as the engine revved up, shaking the whole vehicle ominously. "Seriously though – hold on."

The back wheel squealed loudly as it spun, blackening the tarmac and kicking up a cloud of smoke behind them. When the ignition finally sparked, the twin thrusters roared to life and the sudden boost of power rocketed the moped down the tarmac. The moped took off far faster than any moped Beast Boy had ridden. It took him by complete surprise and the Titan was hanging on for dear life as the French heroine took them onto the roads of the French countryside.

"Are you going fast enough?" Beast Boy shouted.

"You're right. I should be going faster!" Perhaps Jacqueline had simply misheard Beast Boy but whatever the reason, the tachometer began to redline and the moped picked up speed. The twisting, winding roads of the French countryside threw Beast Boy from side to side with every high-speed turn. His grip around Jacqueline began to loosen and when she hit the apex of a small hill, Beast Boy was catapulted off the back off the moped. Soaring through the air at about eighty miles an hour, Beast Boy only had time to let out a distressed yelp before plummeting back to the earth. Always on top of things, though, Jacqueline simply slowed down and her friend landed right back on the moped, though this time it was between Jacqueline and the handlebars.

"I told you to hold tight," Jacqueline reminded him playfully while Beast Boy morphed into a small octopus and wrapped all eight tentacles securely around her. For the remainder of the trip, Jacqueline kept her moped going at a steady pace and when the roads became narrower, she was kind enough to slow down to a leisurely speed. Beast Boy was able to revert back to his normal form now, taking a moment to relax and enjoy the view of the rolling French countryside. In the distance, he could see a small town in the distance.

The town had a rustic look to it with simple stone buildings, cobblestone or brick roads, and the largest building in the town was the tall steeple of the church. Modernized with streetlamps, satellite dishes, and automobiles, the village portrayed an interesting combination of modern and traditional ways. As the pair drove down the main street of the town, Beast Boy looked to all of the villagers who were milling about the outdoor market, most of who had immediately turned to notice the new arrivals. At first Beast Boy thought they were staring at him, being green after all, but judging from the expressions and whispers from the people they passed, it was actually Jacqueline who was getting all the attention.

"Well, here we are," Jacqueline announced as the moped came to a halt in the very of the town. "Home sweet home."

"This is where you grew up?" Beast Boy asked rhetorically as he took in the sights. The pair dismounted from the moped and was immediately met with a growing crowd of townsfolk from all sides.

Jacqueline smiled brightly to the crowds, waving politely to them but keeping her attention focused on her companion. "Zat's right. My family has lived in zis village for four generations."

She directed Beast Boy's attention to the statue that stood in the center of town. Molded of bronze was a depiction of a young man, carrying a rifle in one hand and a raised flag in the other. At the base of the statue was a plaque and while it was written entirely in French, the name 'Jacque L'Armor' stood out. It didn't come as a surprise that Jacqueline was a sort of celebrity in her hometown and while she stepped into the crowds to deal with the welcoming committee, Beast Boy was left to sit and wait on the moped. Why did he ever get that kind of reception in Jump City?

"Sooo…you must be ze one we 'eard so much about," a sweet, seductive, and heavily accented voice perked up, catching Beast Boy's attention. Leaning up against the statue was a pair of young and very attractive twins. Both had long, luscious locks of blonde hair, twinkling blue eyes, and apparel that didn't leave much to the imagination. They both winked to him playfully, which forced Beast Boy to contain himself just so his jaw didn't hit the ground.

"Jacqueline 'as spoken very 'ighly about you," the second one continued.

"Um…s-she has?" Beast Boy stammered. He wasn't sure how to react at first. Glances over to Jacqueline for any sign of what to say left him with no answers as the crowd had enveloped his friend. "What…sort of things?"

"Oh…ze usual. Strong and courageous…" the first sister began.

The second one continued as though reciting a poem, "Yet gentle and compassionate."

"A gentleman."

"A scholar."

"And a beast in ze sack."

Beast Boy just stood there dumb-founded for a second. Surely there must've been some sort of misunderstanding.

"We've never 'ad an opportunity to meet such a…famous American 'ero. We know Jacqueline can be a bit of a prude so if you ever want to get more acquainted, don't be a stranger."

The two girls winked once more to the green Titan, prompting him to slowly back away despite the serious temptation before him. However, what was on his mind were the things they had mentioned and now he needed to have a serious word with Jacqueline about it. Pushing his way through the crowd, Beast Boy found Jacqueline still trying to disperse the crowd.

"Jacq!"

"Hm? Oh, Beast Boy. What is it?"

"Um…I think we need to talk," he explained as he took her by the wrist.

At first she was a little confused but then she looked through the crowds and saw the twins by the statue. The sight of them immediately made her frown and she had an idea of what Beast Boy was concerned about. Taking charge and dragging her friend out of the crowd, Jacqueline stormed up to the twins who were beginning to laugh at her expense.

"Well if it isn't ze little princess returning 'ome," one of the twins remarked.

"You keep your filthy mitts off of him!" Jacqueline said sternly. "We did not come here to put with your antics and ze last zing I need is your…unchecked libido intervening in a very important mission. So back off you damned harlots before I bust your chops!"

There was an obvious unresolved feud between Jacqueline and the twins and while Beast Boy was curious what it was about, he refrained from saying anything with Jacqueline so irritated. The twins, however, did not seemed fazed at all by Jacqueline's outburst, as if it wasn't the first time this had happened.

"My, we never zought you to be ze jealous type. You know we wouldn't steal your boy toy from you…not a second time at least."

"Boy toy? You better not have…" Jacqueline paused half-way through her sentence, realizing a truth at that moment, "ah dammit! You did, didn't you?"

Jacqueline never got an answer to her question. Instead, the twins simply laughed and headed on their way. Beast Boy was still confused but hoped that Jacqueline would start making sense soon. As the twins left, Jacqueline simply groaned and buried her face into her hands, muttering something in French over and over again.

"What's going on…and who were they?" Beast Boy finally demanded.

"Zose were some friends of mine," Jacqueline explained softly. "Zey're usually nice but zey just…push my buttons all ze time. I talked to zem before coming here and I might've, being a little annoyed at zem, have implied zat you and I were a couple. And zen I might've exaggerated a few zings about you."

"Why do I feel like I'm being thrown into a very clichéd sitcom?" Beast Boy muttered lightly. His friend tried to offer an apologetic, embarrassed grin, but it wasn't necessary. Beast Boy could understand that she might've been shooting her mouth off in order to impress some old friends of hers.

"I'm very sorry about zis. I didn't expect it to get like zis. I wasn't zinking straight. Zey were constantly going on about how I'm a prude zat could never land a date if my life depended on it."

"Well at least they think I'm a beast in the sack," Beast Boy chuckled lightly. At least Jacqueline spread nice lies about him. He figured they wouldn't be in town for that long so as long as he avoided those twins he'd be safe and Jacqueline wouldn't be humiliated. "How much worse could it get?"

"I…zink zey might've told my father about it as well."

"Why am I getting this sudden sense of foreboding?"

"You'll know when you meet him."


	12. Chapter 11: A Colossal Problem

**Chapter Eleven: A Colossal Problem**

**"Ze L'Armor family started all ze way back during ze French Revolution when ze first Jack-of-All-Trades took up arms against the tyranny of the monarchy. **He stood to defend ze people of France and tried to help create a strong republic in France. Alas, when ze Jacobins began the Reign of Terror he was seen as too strong of a figure and since he did not agree with everyzing zey wanted, he was called a traitor and was to be executed. But Jacque was clever and went into hiding. When he emerged into the public eye once more, he was serving alongside Napoleon Bonaparte."

Young Jacqueline had much enthusiasm when it came to detailing the history of her family and of the Jack-of-All-Trades. Through almost every major point in history for France, there was a Jack-of-All-Trades, fighting for the defense of the people and for the glory of their homeland. Though the ideals of the Jack-of-All-Trades changed from generation to generation, the single belief of serving the people was always present. Her grandfather, whose statue stood in the center of her hometown, was a leading figure of the French Resistance during the Second World War. Ever since her grandfather, though, the world was a different place and the Jack-of-All-Trades moved from being national heroes to local heroes. Problems no longer existed between countries that could be solved by a single hero and the abilities and skills of the Jack-of-All-Trades became more suited for solving smaller problems and stopping crime. The glory days of serving as an icon during a time of crisis were over. That job was left more to the politicians.

Moving into the world of super heroism, though, had proven to be a most successful move for the L'Armor family. Jacqueline's exploits as a super heroine in Jump City and abroad had earned her arguably more prestige than any L'Armor before her.

Since Jacqueline explained to Beast Boy the slight problem that may have arisen due to her pride and impulsive mouth, she had been stalling for time and reluctant to visit her father where she had been planning to stay during her stay in France. There was, however, only so much history that one friend could listen to.

"Now my grandfather was a very vocal objector to France's surrender during ze Second World War and refused to leave the country even as ze Nazis rolled into Paris. Instead of hiding he-"

"Um, Jacq?"

"Oui?"

"How much longer are we going to hide up here?"

"What are you talking about?"

"We're in a church tower," Beast Boy pointed out.

Jacqueline took a quick glance over to the giant steel bell behind them and then to the view the tower had, overlooking the entire village. "What? It's a good view of ze town. There's no rush."

"But you were the one who said we were here to do a job and…I can't believe I'm saying this _again_ but shouldn't we actually be doing said job?" It was always a bad sign when Beast Boy was the one keeping people focused on the important task. Had it not been for the severity of the Legion's threat, he would've been more than open to the idea of taking a short vacation in the French countryside.

Jacqueline let out a reluctant sigh and leaned against one of the corner pillars of the bell tower. She said nothing at first and merely stared out to the village below them. It had been a while since she had returned home. For her, it felt like home and yet did not feel like it at the same time. Perhaps her memories of home would've been more cheerful had she not spent most of her youth in classrooms studying, in padded gyms practicing, and out in the fields doing physical training. Sure the people who strolled through the streets were the people she grew up with…and yet they still seemed to inhabit a different world. She knew their names but knew little about them; her so-called friends were those that dared to tempt her father's fury and they were more interested in the legend behind the family rather than Jacqueline herself. But such was the life of a heroine – nobody said it would be an easy one. Besides, Jacqueline had her group of friends now so everything was balanced.

"You don't want to face your father do you?"

Jacqueline shook her head slowly, letting out a quiet chuckle at how transparent she had become. "I wanted to come home with something to boast about aside from being a hero…and now I've wound up making things awkward."

"I don't see what the big deal is. Just tell your dad the truth – we're not in any relationship."

"And disappoint my father? I wish life were that easy. My father has little more to look forward to in life and seeing me alone is a heavy burden upon a man who's health has been failing him. The truth would be more painful than any villain he had ever inflicted upon him – that is not something any child should do to their father."

"Great, does this mean I have to pretend to be with you?" Beast Boy grumbled as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Please. I promise I'll make it up to you when we get home," Jacqueline pleaded and put on her most sympathetic look.

"Well…I don't know. That's asking a lot of me…"

"I'll let you drive my moped," she offered, jingling the keys in front of the Titan.

The Teen Titan stared at the tempting keys dangling before his eyes, gazing at them in a hypnotic fashion. It took a moment before he was able to snap himself out of the stupor. "Deal," he finally answered and snatched the keys from her. "Now you go face your father."

"Fine. By ze way, please try to stay away from zose twins. Zey'll do anything with two legs and a pulse…and I bet zey aren't even zat discriminating."

"So where did you live anyways?" Beast Boy queried, resuming his gaze of the city. "All the houses kinda look the same here."

"We are going," she began while grabbing her friend by the top of his head and rotating it towards the east, "over zere." In the distance was a small home that stood out amongst all the others perhaps simply because it was on a small and was surrounded by a high metal gate. It possessed the look one would expect from the home of a respected hero. "Maybe I'll get lucky and we'll have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"What are we going to do tomorrow anyways?"

"Find ze Legion, figure out what zey're after, and preferably blow some shit up in ze process. Ze Legion was spotted about seven hours northeast of here, zat is where we will start our search first." Taking a dedicated, yet relaxed, approach to her work, Jacqueline definitely had her act together more than she let on. Beast Boy had sometimes wondered why Jacqueline never tried to take the reins of command of the Argonauts. Perhaps, deep down, Jacqueline never expected to be part of a team for so long for whatever reason. She was a reclusive girl and the Titan wondered if meeting her father would shed some light on her.

With a sigh of reluctance, Jacqueline whipped out her guitar and flew out of the bell tower with a hawk-Beast Boy following close behind her. After a quick flight, Jacqueline and her friend landed upon the soft, green grass of a super hero's front lawn – a hero with too much time on his hand thanks to retirement.

"Why does this grass seem weird?"

"He bred it himself," Jacqueline explained. "It actually stops growing after a genetically-determined height so he doesn't need to mow it. I've never seen a man work so hard to be so damn lazy." The grass reminded Beast Boy of something out of a 1950's family show – eerily too perfect. The hedges adorning the front walk were another testament to how idle Jacqueline's father was, especially considering the precise trimming. "My father never gardens zough – he hates it. He hasn't even weeded ze old gardens in sixteen years."

Arriving at the front door she noticed a large number of colourful flowers lining the walkway. "My god he's planted petunias," she muttered under her breath. "It's worse zan I zought. Okay, are you set?"

"Why do I get the impression you're more scared of your dad than the Legion?"

"It's complicated – let's just say he has a lot of expectations of me," Jacqueline answered briefly before ringing the doorbell. The two heroes waited for a short while before they could finally hear footsteps coming from the other side of the door. Finally, the large mahogany door swung open and Jacqueline's burly father stepped out. Upon his setting his aged eyes on his young daughter, the retired hero smiled brightly and wrapped his beefy arms around Jacqueline.

"Papa!" she exclaimed in a false, joyful tone as she did her best to wrap her lithe arms around his wide shoulders. "I wish I could've met you under better circumstances."

"Nonsense Jacqueline! Any chance to see you warms this old man's heart," her father replied, releasing her from his bear hug.

It was then that Jacqueline got a chance to actually notice that the clothing her father wore were somewhat…unusual for him. He wore a pair of dirt-covered overalls with a toolbelt stuff with various gardening instruments and a pair of gloves sticking out of a pocket, a wide-brimmed straw hat, and a pair of boots that were equally as dirt-covered. Jacqueline stared at her father's apparel dumbly for a moment before finally muttering out, "What ze hell are you wearing papa?"

----------------------------------

"I never really hated gardening Jacqueline," Jacque explained as the pair sat in the backyard garden on the stone patio. The pair had some privacy to talk while Beast Boy was inside the house letting Robin know that they had landed safely in France. The once neglected backyard of the L'Armor family was teeming with life now with a few mighty oak trees, lavish stretches of colourful flowerbeds, and even a new pond in the center of the yard. It was far more than what Jacqueline had previously remembered. Her last memories recalled the backyard being a somewhat dreary place, long since neglected by the homeowners and only tended to periodically by hired hands from the town.

"Why did you never do anything with it?" the young daughter replied, looking out to the vibrant blues, reds, and yellows of the flowerbeds. "It was always such a sad sight for the house."

"Gardening had always been your mother's domain," he said with a solemn sigh at the end. "After she passed away…I was never really able to bring myself to continue what she had started. It always stirred up sad memories."

"Mom did love flowers," Jacqueline added softly. "What made you finally take it up?"

"You leaving."

The father and daughter both fell silent for a short while and watched the small birds and rodents scurry about through the tree branches. Jacqueline had always felt bad about leaving her father to become the hero she is now but her father had always pushed her to achieve and to never settle for being second-best. She had always hoped that her father would stop isolating himself and start dating again but apparently her father never felt right with the idea.

"So…that Beast Boy fellow seems like a nice guy."

"He is. He can be a bit of a goof but he's a real sweet guy."

"He is human, right?"

"Most of ze time."

"You think you'll be able to stay for a little while once your business is finished?"

"I wish I could papa," Jacqueline said reluctantly. "But zere's a lot going on back home and I'm going to be needed zere once zis is zrough."

"Of course. Your duty to your team and friends is paramount to the wishes of an old man who can wait until the storm is over." Jacqueline's father knew full well the dedication needed to make it in the business of heroism. He knew asking for her company would only distract her from what needs to be done.

"When this nonsense is over this will be the first place I'll go to – I promise."

The pair smiled warmly to one another, though their attention was quickly diverted to the Teen Titan exiting the house.

"Ah, monsieur Beast Boy! We were just talking about you," Jacque greeted warmly and motioned for the young lad to take a seat with them. "Now my daughter said that you could change into any animal alive, now is that accurate?"

"That and even some of the extinct ones," Beast Boy promptly boasted before morphing into a dodo and waddling over to his seat. The father and daughter laughed heartily at Beast Boy's antics, trailing off as he reverted back to human form on the seat and helped himself to some of the iced tea on the nearby table.

"Truly impressive mon ami. I have heard much about you and your fellow Titans and I look forward to sharing my home with you for the night."

"As wonderful as zat sounds, it is important zat my friend and I start preparations for our investigations tomorrow," Jacqueline interrupted. Though her father wasn't an official part of the investigation, Jacqueline had always relied upon his instincts and expertise when she worked in France. "I was hoping you'd might have some…suggestions. Beast Boy and I do not have much to work with unfortunately."

"Of course I'll help. It would certainly beat gardening any day," Jacqueline's father agreed, practically jumping on the opportunity to dust off his old detective skills. "So who is the enemy this time?"

"A giant army of robotic warriors hell bent on destroying everyzing in zeir way," she answered bluntly. It was certainly much more than anything her father had ever had to deal with but an enemy was an enemy, regardless if it was a band of ruffians or an army of unknown proportions. Jacqueline and Beast Boy took a few more minutes to explain the whole extent of the situation to Jacque, all of which simply made the veteran hero nod and ponder with an audible hum.

"Well from what you've told me, it sounds like you've got quite an opponent on your hands," Jacque finally spoke up, brushing the gray stubble along his jawline thoughtfully. "Now if they are the small-sized army you've said, then they won't want to be drawing attention to themselves…so whatever it is they're doing here in France it's something important enough to warrant such a risk. If they use distraction and diversion as much as you said they do, then you'll need to figure out what they're real objective is so you can decipher what's a decoy and what's a legitimate move. They will try to lure you out into the open…expose your position and they will keep you as distracted from the main goal as much as possible. Whatever you do, you cannot allow yourself to fall into their trap – you're the only one that can stop them so it's imperative you stay your course. I'll call a few generals that owe me favors and they can be deployed to deal with any diversionary tactics this Legion might use."

"So…any ideas on what the Legion might be after?" Beast Boy asked.

"There's got to be something in France that's big and important enough for them to come here specifically – something that no other country, especially none in North America, could offer."

The three heroes fell silent as they pondered what the Legion could be after. Since it was an army of machines, it was likely some sort of technology that was necessary for their plans. In the previous encounter with the Legion, they used escaped criminals to steal the necessary components to build an airship and Atalanta as a decoy to lure the Titans out where they could be picked off one at a time.

"I'll go check ze computer databases," Jacqueline finally spoke up as she rose to her feet. "Maybe zere was a big announcement about some development in ze papers lately."

"An excellent idea. I shall go make those calls for you," Jacque added and got out of his seat as well.

As the pair headed back into the house, Beast Boy was left wondering how they went from casual conversation to work so quickly. "Hey, what am I supposed to do?" Beast Boy called out to the two L'Armor's.

"You could start dinner," Jacqueline suggested.

"Yeah, can't save the world on an empty stomach."

As the trio went about their separate ways, Beast Boy was left to decide what to cook for dinner. Figuring he might as well scope out the kitchen, Beast Boy ventured into the house and began a search of the pantries and refrigerator. The fridge was fully stocked with an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables along with a variety of cheeses, meats, and eggs. Being the vegetarian, he ignored the meat and helped himself to the plentiful assortment of fresh produce. Sadly, there appeared to be no tofu available so his options were going to be limited.

As he shut the fridge, he noticed that the fridge door had been adorned with a number of newspaper clippings. Most of them were in French but a number was in English. He didn't need to be a Francophone to notice that all of them were about Jacqueline. One headline read 'Jack-of-All-Trades helps saves world leaders at G8 Summit' that was referring to one of the Legion's plots that Jacqueline helped foil with Blackfire, Jinx, and Kid Flash. A second article detailed Jacqueline's ascension into fame as a hero of Jump City, which included a short biography of the young heroine. Out of curiosity, Beast Boy decided to take a quick read to learn more about his faux-girlfriend.

_"Hailing from a long line of heroes, Jacqueline L'Armor was no stranger to adversity. From a young age, Jacqueline was subjected to a long and grueling training program that had been perfected over six generation of heroes to sculpt a hero among heroes. From mile-long jogs at the crack of down to hour after hour of lectures and combat training, Jacqueline L'Armor has been trained to handle it all. Like those before her, Miss L'Armor has become somewhat of a celebrity amongst the French populace, not only making her a beacon of justice to all but one of the most eligible bachelorettes in the country. As the only child of Jacque L'Armor VI, continuation of the family name and legacy hinges upon her. Needless to say, the challenges have only just begun for Miss L'Armor."_

"Geez…and I thought I had it rough with the Doom Patrol," Beast Boy muttered to himself before turning back to the kitchen to focus on making dinner for the others. Considering his limited options, he figured a salad of some sort would be in order, though if the others wanted more they would have to prepare it themselves. No way he was touching any of that meat. It was only about five minutes into the preparation that Mr. L'Armor came strolling into the kitchen.

"Hey there kiddo, what's for dinner?" Jacque asked as he patted the Titan firmly upon the back.

"Um…just a salad. I'm not exactly sure what else I can make with what you have."

"A salad?" Jacque replied in disbelief. "Mon ami, salad is what you serve at the side of a meal – not the whole meal itself. An occasion like tonight calls for something more…ah-ha, I knew I wouldn't regret saving this leg of lamb!"

"Jacqueline did tell you that I'm a vegetarian, right?"

"A vegetarian? Oh lord…where did I steer her wrong?"

"Hey! What's wrong with being a vegetarian?"

"Nothing actually," Jacque laughed heartily once more. "Her mother was a vegetarian as well – that's why she had such a huge garden out back. If you don't mind me asking…why do you want to date my daughter?"

Not the sort of discussion that Beast Boy wanted to get involved with. It was easy to say he was in a relation with her but to make up reasons and hope that Jacque doesn't verify the facts was a completely different challenge. "Oh…nothing really specific. She's cool and fun and all that. We have a lot in common and she laughs at my jokes. We get along…she makes me feel wanted." Beast Boy had to reflect upon his own feelings back during his short time with Terra. In a way, though, he was being honest about how he felt towards Jacqueline though he had never before seriously considered a relationship with her. That begged the question – why not?

"Well you couldn't have made a better choice sonny. I know she can be a handful at times but she's a good girl."

"I'll be sure to remember that," Beast Boy quickly replied, though trying to avoid prolonging the conversation. He tried to look as preoccupied as possible while chopping up the vegetables in hopes that Jacque would avoid such dangerous questions. However, he would soon discover that Jacqueline's father was just as unorthodox as she was.

"So have you two had sex yet?"

"Eep!" The Titan winced with a slip of the knife.

"Sorry, did I phrase that poorly?"

"No…but I really need a band-aid now," Beast Boy whimpered softly.

"Father, are you harassing my boyfriend?" Jacqueline interjected as she strolled into the kitchen, band-aid in hand for her friend. "You'll have to excuse him; he really wants grandchildren. Of course he's just going to _scare off_ every boyfriend with zat kind of questioning."

"He should've given me a bit of a warning before hand," Beast Boy groaned, keeping pressure on his bleeding finger.

"Be careful, you're bleeding on ze the zucchinis," Jacqueline said to change the subject. Once she helped her friend get the cut under control, she joined them in helping to prepare dinner. "I put ze computer on a wide-scale search. It should be done later tonight but…I zink I'm going to hit ze sack after dinner. Ze jet lag is killing me."

"So where am I going to be sleeping anyways?"

"We don't have a guest room I'm afraid so you'll have to use Jacqueline's," Jacque answered.

"Um…my bed isn't very big…" Jacqueline reminded her father.

"Oh just because your old man is in the building doesn't mean you need to be all PG-13. The walls are pretty thick in this building anyways."

Beast Boy and Jacqueline glanced to each other for a moment, both thinking along the same lines of concern. There didn't seem to be much they could do to talk their way out of it without making her father suspicious. "Heh…did I mention he really wanted grandchildren?"

----------------------------------

"I don't think this is going to work Jacqueline," Beast Boy grumbled as the pair tried to share a singles bed. They squeezed as best they could on their half of the mattress but there wasn't enough sheets for them to share comfortably…along with mattress space. The fact that they were trying to keep a comfortable distance between them wasn't making matters easier.

"Zen just sleep on the floor or somezing," Jacqueline snapped back, tugging on the sheet to try and get a few more inches. "You can turn into a dog, zat should be sufficient."

"I am not sleeping as a dog, I wind up getting a huge cramp in my back."

"A real boyfriend would surrender ze bed for his lady."

"I'm not your real boyfriend, remember?" Beast Boy retorted, pulling hard on the sheet to reclaim what had been taken away from him.

"You could at least act like it."

"Well I need my sleep or else I'm going to be real cranky in the morning."

"Trust me, I'll be much crankier if I have to sleep on ze floor. Now you're hogging ze sheets Beast Boy."

"Only because you keep pulling on it. I'm going to wind up with nothing if I don't pull back a little."

"Zere's not…enough room!" Jacqueline said with another tug, though she wound up tugging too hard and the sheets were pulled free from Beast Boy's hands. The momentum, however, carried her right over the edge of the mattress and onto the floor with a loud thud. At least she had all the sheets though. "I zink we need to zink zis over."

"No kidding," he remarked as he looked over the edge. "Um…I think there'd be enough room but we'd have to reconsider…positioning."

Poking her head out from the wraps of bed sheets, Jacqueline sighed reluctantly as she knew what he was talking about as well. After a quick adjustment of their positions, the two managed to find a way to comfortable sleep on the same mattress. It required them to huddle close together on their sides, front to back.

"You're breathing down my neck," Beast Boy whispered as the pulled the sheets tighter around both of them.

"Quit complaining."

"Why do I have to be on the inside?"

"I didn't zink you'd complain about a pair of c-cups against your back."

"I guess I can live with that," he replied softly.

"You're very comfy."

"Heh…um, thanks," Beast Boy said before blushing slightly. "Mind if I ask you something?'

"What is it?"

"You like Raven, don't you?"

"I take it ze boys told you zat?"

"Yup.

"No point in denying it zen," she sighed lightly. "It's just a harmless crush…no big deal. I know nozing will come from it."

"Never pictured Raven to be the type to get a secret admirer."

"Yes well I have…peculiar tastes. Now get some sleep mon amis."

With that, Beast Boy let his eyes drift shut and tried to get some rest while Jacqueline's arm remained draped over his body. Slowly, the pair drifted into a pleasant sleep.

Unfortunately, the wake-up call would come all too soon for them. While they might've been willing to take their time with the investigation, Jacqueline's father was a bit more gung-ho than they were. Jacqueline had almost all but forgotten about her father's knack for waking up at the early hours of the morning. The sun had only just started to climb over the horizon when a loud pounding came from the bedroom door, followed by Jacque's voice calling something out in French.

"What the hell is he doing?" Beast Boy grumbled as he tucked his head under the bed sheets.

"Being his usual self," Jacqueline explained and was no more amused about the wake-up call than her friend. After she shouted something in French back to her father the knocking ceased and Jacqueline let her head flop back onto the pillow, breathing a small sigh of relief. "He would've had us working from ze crack of dawn…I didn't zink he'd do zat with company over."

"What did you tell him?"

"I just said we like to have a morning romp in ze sack…zat should buy us a few hours…" she answered groggily and already halfway back to sleep.

"Morning…romp?"

"Oui…and if he asks I have a tattoo of a white rabbit on my left hip…"

"I'll keep that in mind."

The two friends were just about to drift back into blissful sleep when the loud knocking returned once more, though more forceful this time around.

"What is zis time?" Jacqueline shouted a bit more angrily this time.

"Get up and get dressed, we've got an emergency outside!" Jacque replied in a hurry.

"What kind of emergency?" Jacqueline had little intention of getting up unless it was a serious emergency.

"Just look out the window – I'll meet you outside!"

With a quiet string of French profanities, Jacqueline hauled her half-naked butt out of bed and stumbled over to the closed window. "Louise better not be raising ze dead again. Always with ze undead zat boy…" she muttered bitterly before drawing open the curtains. What she saw, though, shocked her awake completely. Over the hills in the distance was what appeared to be a Spartan robot…except it was about eight stories high and marching straight towards the village at a slow, lumbering pace.

"Holy hell!" Jacqueline shouted. "When in ze name of all zat's still sacred did zey get one of those?"

After Jacqueline had made the cursed exclamation, Beast Boy had jumped out of bed to see what the commotion was all about. "I…think it might be time to call for back-up."

"How ze the hell did nobody see zat zing coming?"


	13. Chapter 12: Love and Family

**Chapter Twelve: Love and Family**

**"Beast Boy, you and my father go and start evacuating the townfolk!** Zere's some trucks by ze Dumoine residence zat you can use," Jacqueline shouted to her friend as she raced through the hallways of her home, scrambling to get her vest buttoned up. The echoing footsteps that began rattling the foundation of her home served as motivation to hurry up. Grabbing her guitar as she entered the living room, she rushed over to one of the bookshelves along the wall and pressed a small button located on the wall next to it. With a hiss and a whirr, the bookshelf slid over revealing a small armory housing almost every sort of weapon imaginable.

"And where do you think your going Jacqueline?" her father asked as he watched his daughter start grabbing guns and explosives.

"What does it look like? I'm going giant hunting," she quickly snapped back, tightening a bandolier of hand grenades across her chest. Next, she grabbed a high-tech rifle holstered in large sling and strapped it on. "I'm borrowing the plasma rifle, okay?"

"Did you listen at all to anything I said yesterday?"

"Between you harassing my boyfriend and waking me up at ze crack of dawn, you might need to refresh my memory…after I stop ze robot trying to smash my home."

"How about the part where I said there would obviously be a diversion and here it is! You need to find where the real target is and I'll handle the giant robot."

To Beast Boy, who was standing only a few meters away from the conversation, the conversation was a stark contrast to the happy father-daughter pair that he witnessed the day before. With one being a lone wolf, big shot heroine, and the other a hardened veteran still looking for one last shot at glory, there was a major conflict of interest. Jacqueline did not look amused by her father's orders nor was Jacque when he heard his daughter's response.

"Listen dad, maybe you've forgotten but you haven't tackled anything larger zan a deranged pit bull in twelve years. I am **not** going to go on a wild goose chase while you and everyone I grew up with gets stomped on by ze iron giant!" Grabbing the largest weapon she could find, a hefty rocket launcher, and slinging it onto her shoulder, the girl marched defiantly past her father with an icy glare to him. "You'll have to knock me out to get me away from zis."

Beast Boy wasn't sure whom he'd side with if his support were called upon. He had no intention to arguing with Jacqueline though.

"Jacqueline you get back here!" Jacque's shouts were in vain, though, as his daughter was out the door without even glancing back to him.

"Maybe we should just listen to her," Beast Boy suggested cautiously.

"You help the townfolk, I'm going to make sure my daughter doesn't get herself killed! Gets a few lucky breaks and thinks she's the top dog. I haven't been stopping criminals and villains for twenty-five years to get told what to do by my greenhorn kid," Jacque complained as he stormed off to the armory and started loading up on weapons as well.

"Umm…Jacqueline's got a lot of experience and you can't blame her for wanting to protect her home," Beast Boy defended.

"She's putting her own personal feelings before the greater good. The more important the mission, the bigger the distraction and they don't get much bigger than that one there."

Beast Boy sighed lightly and said nothing in return. There was no point arguing with Jacque…and he thought Jacqueline could be stubborn at times. Watching a now armed-to-the-teeth Jacque head out into the streets, Beast Boy hurried to find somebody who could help him round up the denizens. He just hoped he didn't spend too much time struggling with his minimal French skills.

Outside, Jacqueline stood in the center of town and watched as the giant in the distance continued in towards the town. Her opponent was massive to say the least. Its appearance was awe-inspiring in its simplistic style, heavily inspired by the Greek theme that the entire Legion enjoyed. Akin to a bronze cuirass, its body was sculpted with human like features like abdominals and pectoral curves, and its head was encased in a full-helm. Its glowing blue eyes sent a shiver down Jacqueline's spine, not to mention the giant sword on its back left her with…apprehensions. It was a rare feeling for her.

"Let's see how tough you are," Jacqueline muttered as she shoulder the rocket launcher and took aim. A target, though a long distance away, that size wouldn't be difficult to hit for a girl as proficient with heavy weapons like Jacqueline, especially after using her powers to super-charge the rocket. Carefully lining up the weapon's sights, with only a light squeeze of the trigger, the explosive payload was sent rocketing through the sky. With an echoing roar, the explosion engulfed the giant's entire torso in smoke and fire. The rising cloud of smoke held such splendor that even Jacqueline was captivated by it for a few moments. Some days she forgot just what she could do with her powers...and just how terrifying it could be.

Unfortunately, even a super-charged rocket proved to only be a minor nuisance to the Colossus, which pushed on through the explosion with only a blackened scorch mark to show for it. Its armoured chest was barely even wrinkled despite the heat and force of the blast.

Jacqueline wasn't discouraged in the least, simply muttering while tossing the rocket launcher aside, "You wanted my attention…and now you got it!"

She knew she had to keep the battle away from her home as long as possible. Powering up her guitar, she hopped onto her trusty instrument and flew off towards the giant. Pulling out her rifle, the heroine kept low to the ground in hopes that the colossus wouldn't notice her. However, a girl flying on a guitar was hard to miss and the colossus outstretched a hand towards her. The fingertips glowed white as hundreds of energy bolts began to rain down upon Jacqueline. She crouched low and grabbed the neck of her guitar, keeping her stable as she began swerving left and right. Chunks of dirt and grass were kicked into the air, creating a field of obstacles for Jacqueline to duck and weave through. She simply grit her teeth and charged through the clouds dirt and rock.

Reaching the colossus' feet, she pulled up hard and started firing her rifle at the giant opponent. Even the super-charged shots were barely even scratching its armoured skin. Proving to be more like a fly than a threat, she continued circling around the colossus while it swatted clumsily at her. The air force from one strike almost knocked her off her guitar and forced her to pull away before a second swat flattened her. Jacqueline put some distance between her and the colossus, once again facing a hailstorm of energy bolts.

"What's it going to take to put you out of commission?" Jacqueline growled as she began another strafing run on the colossus. She didn't allow herself to linger on such thoughts – if she started to lose confidence this fight would be over quickly. Hoping the head would be a more vulnerable target she flew straight for it while firing for the eyes.

However, as she closed in on the colossus suddenly let out a monstrous roar of such volume that the air force rattled Jacqueline right off her guitar. She did a few tumbles through the air before slamming into the colossus' chest. The smooth, bronzed surface provided no grip and the heroine began to plummet to the earth. Jacqueline finally managed to find a ledge to grab hold of at the waistline, even though the sudden stop almost popped her shoulder right out. Quickly glancing over her shoulder, she spotted her guitar and rifle falling just out of arm's reach.

There wasn't she could do if she lost her weapons so Jacqueline kicked off the colossus and grabbed both rifle and guitar. However, just as she was about to fly off, the colossus' shin came rushing up and sent the poor girl crashing into the grassy hills.

"Now zat was painful," Jacqueline said, groaning in pain, unaware that she had just blacked out for several minutes. Noticing the colossus' shadow moving away from her, Jacqueline looked skywards to see the massive machine towering over her. Though her mind said to run, her body ached too much to get back to her feet just yet. As she braced for a crushing end, a small green figure came hurtling through the sky. "Beast Boy?"

Though confused at first, she realized what was happening when her green friend morphed into a massive whale and collided with the colossus, stunning the giant machine. The whale then morphed into a bird and flew away just in time as a heavy artillery round struck the colossus in the chest.

"Ah-ha! I always hated retired life!" Jacque boasted loudly as he loaded another shell into his hand-held cannon. A second round impacted against the colossus in a fiery explosion, successfully drawing the giant's attention away from the fallen Jacqueline. That, unfortunately, drew the colossus closer to the town.

"Come on Jacqueline…on your feet…" she demanded as she used her guitar to help get her off the ground.

Jacqueline watched as Beast Boy, now on the ground, charged the colossus in the form of a triceratops. The Teen Titan rammed the giant's ankle, throwing it momentarily off-balance before it recovered and punted Beast Boy halfway across town. Luckily, he managed to transform into a bird to prevent a painful landing.

The colossus continued on its path, bombarding the small town with its fingertip laser beams while Jacque far below kept pounding it with his heavy cannon. Seeing the numerous explosions tearing apart her hometown was enough motivation for Jacqueline to push through her aching muscles and take to the sky once more. She couldn't pull the machine's attention away from her father and hometown though. Her rifle just didn't have the firepower to be anything more than a minor nuisance to her opponent.

"Come get some!" Jacque taunted as a special, penetrating round smashed a hole through the colossus' skin.

With its defenses breached, Beast Boy saw an opportunity to do some real damage. A green falcon dive-bombed straight for the opening and transformed into an electric eel just in time to squeeze through the narrow space. Moments later, the colossus' entire body lurched to a stop before staggering back as though hit by a massive force. The colossus let out another monstrous roar before the green eel was suddenly launched out of the opening and into Jacqueline's awaiting arms.

"I take it he's allergic to seafood?" Jacqueline quipped.

After reverting back to his normal form, a dazed Beast Boy replied, "Very…violent reaction to fish…"

"Zink you can fly off? Zis zing ain't built for two."

Unfortunately, without the bothersome intruder, the colossus was back in action and the giant warrior swatted the pair out of the air. Jacqueline desperately reached out to her falling guitar but before her fingers could grip its neck, a green pterodactyl swooped in to save the plummeting heroine.

"We need to regroup!" she instructed as she pointed to her father on the ground, who happened to be pulling back into the town's center amidst a hail of gunfire.

Beast Boy heeded her instructions, weaving around falling debris as the colossus began knocking over buildings. Spotting the pair, the colossus toppled over the church tower with a powerful blast to the base.

"Whoa, low bridge!" Jacqueline shouted as her friend flew low to the ground just in time to avoid the falling masonry. They regrouped with Jacque in the town's center to mount a new defense against the colossus.

"We seem to be a bit out-muscled here," Jacque remarked, loading a fresh round into his weapon.

"It must use some high-grade alloy for armour because zis gun is barely leaving a scorch mark."

"Have you tried increasing the fuel injector ratio?"

"It's as high as I can set it."

"Then shut off the safety and turn it to max."

"Zat could blow my arm off!"

"Got a better idea?"

"Fine but if I end up an amputee because of zis," Jacqueline grumbled as she quickly tinkered with the controls of her rifle. "We need to aim for ze head if we want to kill zat bastard."

"Then you better aim carefully."

"I got a better idea – you hit it in ze knee. When it tries to get back up, Beast Boy can ram its other leg and zat should knock it to its knees. I only have one shot at zis so I don't wanna miss!"

Jacque didn't like the plan. It was too complex for the situation and too many things could go wrong. However, there wasn't any time to argue and Jacqueline was the one making the shot. "Fine," he finally agreed. "Beast Boy, you best get in position."

Beast Boy nodded and hurried to find cover until he can strike. The heroes would only have one chance to make this tactic work and if it failed, none of them had any idea how they'd be able to bring the giant down. Jacque aimed carefully for the colossus knee, targeting the small gap between the armour plates. The shell impacted with the predicted results, knocking the colossus' knee to the side and forcing the giant onto one knee. Just as it rose to its feet, Beast Boy in Tyrannosaurus form rammed the other leg as hard as possible. The awkward position left the colossus unbalanced and the sudden collision against its leg knocked all support out and the massive machine fell forward with a terrifying crash that shook the entire village.

"Time to put you down for good," Jacqueline growled, charging up her rifle. Small purple and red flames began to flicker from the venting ports along the length of the rifle's barrel, staring down the colossus square in the eyes.

Suddenly, just as Jacqueline was about to fire, the colossus' eyes flashed brightly and unleashed a blast of energy. The beams shot overhead of the two L'Armors, cutting a path of destruction through the buildings behind them and causing them to cascade. A falling brick slammed into Jacqueline's shoulder, throwing her shot off-course. The massive purple and red fireball grazed the colossus' cheek, leaving scorched, jagged metal in its wake.

"Jacqueline, watch out!" Her father shouted as he pushed her out of the way of falling debris. It wasn't a hard enough push, though, as the buildings collapsed entirely and Jacqueline's world went black.

* * *

_"Jacqueline, is there something bothering you?"_

_"Not zat I'm aware of. Why do I get ze feeling zis is more than just a father's intuition?"_

_"It's just that your exam marks seem to have been slipping lately. You just barely passed your advanced electrodynamics exam."_

_"I've had ten exams in ze past month papa! I'm exhausted for crying out loud."_

_"You're getting lazy…and you've been spending way too much time with that Marie girl. You shouldn't be hanging someone like her."_

_"If you're talking about her record I already know about it. You can't blame a starving girl for stealing a few meals."_

_"She robbed a deli."_

_"Quite poorly might I add. She tried to hold up ze cashier with a stale baguette."_

_"You're supposed a role model for people. You can't be socializing with petty crooks!"_

_"Marie is a good person…she's just a little misguided zat's all."_

_"You're letting her take advantage of you."_

_"She's my friend. I can choose who I socialize with!"_

_"Not when you're a Jack-of-All-Trades. You have our family's reputation…our family's legacy to uphold!"_

_"Fifty francs says if Marie had a penis you wouldn't be giving me zis grief!"_

"Excuse me?"

Jacqueline groggily pried her eyes open and the hazy green silhouette of her friend gradually came into better focus. It took a moment for her to realize that she was lying on a cot with a massive headache. A large white tent was set up around her and she could hear jeeps, trucks, and the chatter of soldiers and rescue workers. In the distance was the orange glow of the setting sun…

"Wait…what happened?"

"Before or after the giant robot ran off?" Beast Boy remarked.

"It ran away?"

"Yeah…a few minutes after you got buried it just got up and walked off. I think it might've have something to do with the jets." As Beast Boy pointed skyward, the notion was reinforced by the roar of a pair of fighter jets passing high above. "The army guys lost sight of it when it hit the ocean and went under."

"Lucky us…" Jacqueline groaned as she slowly sat up on the cot. "Any word on what they were really after?"

"Some military base to the north was attacked. There's still no word on what was taken."

Jacqueline let out a quiet sigh and brushed some of her disheveled hair out of her face. Taking a glance out of the tent, she saw the level of destruction that had been instilled upon her hometown; dozens of buildings lay in ruin and craters decorated the roads. It would take years for these scars to heal.

"Who's Marie?"

"Excuse me?"

"Marie," Beast Boy repeated. "You said something about Marie having a…you know."

"Oh um…it's a long story," Jacqueline replied with an embarrassed blush. With another groan, Jacqueline got to her feet and limped her way out of the tent.

"You sure you're well enough to walk?" Beast Boy asked as he followed behind his friend. Considering that she had been buried upon a very large pile of rock and concrete, he didn't want his friend walking off and collapsing because she ignored any underlying injuries.

"Bah…my dad used to make me run marathons in worse condition," Jacqueline answered indifferently. However, the mention of her father made the heroine stop in her tracks. "Beast Boy…where is my father?"

"Uhhh…"

As Beast Boy struggled to find a right way to answer her, Jacqueline's gaze fell onto something past her friend. Ignoring him altogether now, Jacqueline pushed past her friend and began walking across the courtyard. Next to one of the medical tents, she saw a large figure with a wide, black blanket draped overtop. Though the face had been covered, she recognized the boots…and who lay beneath the sheet.

"Papa…"

* * *

Nightfall came but clean up in the small town was still as busy as before. Jacqueline sat alone on the side of a grassy hill overlooking the town, hugging her knees close to her chest. Her eyes were still red from her lachrymal mourning but her tears had long since dried up. Having progressed into silent reflection, Beast Boy thought it would be a good opportunity to approach his grieving friend. He didn't say anything at first, even when Jacqueline peered over her shoulder to see who was approaching. There were no words that he could ever say to alleviate the heart-felt grief his friend was going through; all he could was just be close by in case she needed a shoulder to cry upon.

As he sat down next to Jacqueline, the heroine noticed her friend was carrying something. Normally she would come up with something better to say but with her emotions in such tatters all she could muster was, "Hi BB."

"Hi…um, they found this a few minutes ago," Beast Boy replied holding up the battered remains of Jacqueline's guitar. The neck was barely hanging onto the v-shaped body with only the strings keeping the whole unit from snapping apart. For the first time that evening, Jacqueline managed a weak smile as she delicately took the guitar from her friend.

"Zanks," she said weakly.

"No problem."

The pair stared up at the emerging stars in silence, wondering how many more people had to die before the Legion was stopped once and for all. Though the silence was comforting for her, there were things that Jacqueline needed to get off her chest.

"I screwed up royally today."

"You did the best you could Jacq."

"Except my dad was right. I let myself get distracted by my personal feelings when I should've gone to find the real zreat."

"The whole town could've been destroyed if you hadn't stayed. There's nothing wrong with wanting to save lives. People are alive today who would've died without your help."

"I know…you're right," Jacqueline said with a sigh. "I mean…growing up my father was always putting himself in danger so I prepared myself for ze fact zat my dad could be killed at any time. It comes with ze lifestyle. He's told me time and time again zat I'll be forced to make a lot of tough choices…and zat I might have to give up zings I love for zis life I've chosen."

"It's the sacrifice that all heroes have to go through with," Beast Boy agreed. "You, me, Robin, Raven, Blackfire…none of us have really had a real childhood. I'm betting you didn't too many longtime friends either."

"I spent most of my time studying or training," Jacqueline nodded. "Ze only real friend I had before I met you guys was zis girl named Marie."

"So…who was Marie?"

As she said before, it was a bit of a long story but now that she had a lot of time on her hand, not to mention the desire to keep herself distracted, she felt like she could share the story. "Marie was a vagabond who wondered into zis town one autumn day when I was fourteen years old. She was tired from the walk, weak from malnourishment, and really pissed off at ze world. I still have the scar from when we first met," she said as she parted her hair to show a small scar along her hairline.

"What happened?"

"She hit me an old cast iron spoon," Jacqueline said, chuckling when she saw Beast Boy's expression. She quickly then explained, "She was robbing ze deli and I was trying to be the little heroine zat dad wanted me to be. I was young zough and she was a better fighter zan I was. We tussled about for a while before we just started talking to each other. We met up again a few nights later and talked some more."

"I take it your father didn't approve?"

"I was befriending somebody who broke a man's nose using a baguette. I knew I shouldn't have but…she was incredible. I was entranced…enamored even. She had traveled all across Europe and I just couldn't stop listening to her stories…even zough I knew half of zem were probably exaggerated a fair bit."

"She's that only relationship you've mentioned before, isn't she?"

"Dad flipped when he found out."

"So…what happened?"

"He did what all overprotective dads do – he approached Marie. He got angry with her, made a few zreats…and succeeded in scaring off the only person who didn't give a damn about me being a hero. One day she just disappeared and I haven't seen her since. I was angry at my dad for so long…"

"I'm sure he was just looking out for you."

"I know – all to make me a better hero," Jacqueline remarked in such a manner as to sound like she was quoting her own father. "It's always about the family and its legacy."

As Jacqueline trailed off, Beast Boy pondered over those last choice words of hers. He thought about everything he had seen in the past day and a half and everything he knew about his strange, French friend. She had gone through some of the most intense training since the day she could stand on two feet; she had been told stories about her family and their proud history since her days as a toddler; everything was about preserving her family and continuing their traditions. It was then that Beast Boy came to a realization. No wonder she was so stressed about meeting with her father. It wasn't about her father…it was about her.

"You're gay, aren't you?"

Jacqueline stared at Beast Boy straight in the eyes for an instant before cracking a very slight smirk. "I was wondering when you'd figure it out."

"Wow. I…I never would've-"

"Most people don't. Who'd think zat ze famous Jack-of-All-Trades, ze sevenz and most famous of all ze heroes who bore ze title, is as queer as a zree dollar bill. Zere's only two zings my father wanted from me – to be happy with my job and to continue the family's legacy. I zought zat if I did a good enough job being a super hero he wouldn't care when I told him about zis."

"You…never told him?" Beast Boy asked cautiously.

"I was…hoping zat after zis was all over I could break it to him but…it's too late now."

"Listen Jacq," Beast Boy began slowly, "I know this might not mean much since I've only known him for a day but I got the impression that what he wanted most was for you to be happy…regardless of who it is you're with."

Jacqueline managed another weak smile, feeling a bit better thanks to her friend's efforts. Part of her wished she could feel about Beast Boy the same way she felt about Marie all those years ago but her heart just couldn't work that way.

"Zanks for the pep talk."

"Anytime."

"I guess we will be heading back to America tomorrow."

"Do I still get to drive your moped?"

"I zink it got blown up with most of my house."

"Ah…dang."

"Tell you what, when zis is all over I'll help you build one. Deal?"

"Deal."


	14. Chapter 13: Daughter of Olympus

**Chapter Thirteen: Daughter of Olympus**

**"Raven, do you know where Robin is?"**

"I think he's still in the training rooms with Cyborg."

"Ah. Thank you." After thanking her friend, Starfire left Raven to her meditation and headed to the training room. It was midday and Starfire was searching for her teammates, only to have been told that they were still in the same place that she left them the night before. She had not seen her friends so buried in their work since the last time that Slade showed up, which happened to be the same time that they first fought the Legion. It came as no surprise to her but she was still a bit disappointed by it.

Upon entering the training room, Starfire was immediately met with the strong scent of burnt cordite, scorched metal, explosives, grease, and several unidentifiable odours that made the whole room reek like an old military hangar. Hunched over a worktable covered that was covered in broken pieces of equipment and tools were her friends.

Exactly how she left them.

"Um…Robin?" she said softly to get the boys' attention.

Amazingly, she was able to pull the Boy Wonder's attention away from his work long enough for him to ask, "Hm? Oh…hey Starfire. What are you doing back here so soon?"

"Robin, it is Tuesday."

"Oh…really?"

"Yes. It is Tuesday afternoon," Starfire reiterated in an irritated tone. "You had promised to take me to dinner last night."

"I'm kind of busy right now Star, I'll make it up to your tonight or something…"

Starfire was clearly displeased, not that Robin would notice since his nose was buried so far into his work he wouldn't have noticed her if she had stripped down to the nude. Whatever was in that small disc he was working on was clearly more important than keeping his girlfriend happy. Once again, it didn't come as a surprise to her but she was grossly disappointed in Robin.

"Will it be tonight?" Starfire asked, making sure that Robin was being sincere.

"Not sure," he answered.

"Why? What is it that you are working on?"

"I'm trying to figure a way to beat those Spartan shields," Robin explained as he held up the disc he was tinkering with. "Right now these things just ricochet right off their shields or just explode harmlessly off them. I'm trying to modify them so they'll stick to the shields and deliver a more pentetrating blast to shatter the shields. I figured since the Legion's been busy upgrading it was about time that we did the same. I have to see how these trials work and if there's time then we can grab something to eat. It probably won't be more than six hours…seven at most."

To Robin's surprise, Starfire let out an angered snort before storming out of the room. Cyborg, who sat across from the Titan leader, simply shook his head in disapproval.

"Did I say something wrong?" Robin asked in his usual oblivious manner.

"You're lucky Starfire is patient cause any other girl would've dumped your ass months ago."

"I don't follow you."

"How many times have you pushed off dinner? Lunch? The movies? Hell, when was the last time you two actually went on a date? I'm willing to settle for the last time you two spent time together that wasn't work related?"

Robin fell dead silent for a moment, realizing how right Cyborg was. However, as usual he had an answer. "We're heroes Cyborg. Starfire and I both knew that the team and the city had to come before us. We have a responsibility to the people."

"You have a responsibility to her too, you know? I know we're busy with the whole Legion thing but that doesn't mean you can't at least try to have a normal relationship with Star. She'll understand if you have to stop a date half-way through cause a bank is getting robbed but she's going to feel ignored if you cancel every day because a bank _might_ get robbed or an army of robots _might_ come stomping through the city."

Robin started to feel a bit guilty, though most of his attention was still on his work. Cyborg was right in that he had been a bit…reluctant to make plans because of obvious threats. However, it wasn't the bank robberies or threat to the city he was worried about, it was another Cyborg incident happening. Once had proven to be hard enough on his confidence as a leader, a second might do him in altogether.

"Fine, when I finish the prototype, run some tests, and we finish with the questioning, then I'll take Starfire out for dinner."

Unfortunately, that hadn't been enough to satisfy Cyborg. He knew Robin would say something along those lines and that Robin hadn't trimmed any time off with those plans either. Impatiently, Cyborg reached across the table and snatched the disc from his friend. With a quick flick of his wrist, the disc soared across the room and into the recovered Spartan shield that had been set up on the far side. The disc, upon hitting the shield, didn't bounce off but instead latched onto the metal surface like a giant fridge magnet.

"There, it sticks," Cyborg said as he got up. "Now let's go. You can do the rest tomorrow."

"But I…I still have some work to do!" Robin protested, only to be dragged off by force.

"Oh hush, we need to be done by six so you can get ready for your date."

"Since when is my relationship any of your business?"

"Since you started dated a teammate; making sure your relationship does meet an untimely end is all of our business."

"Do I even get a say in any of this?"

"Not today."

* * *

"You know, you could've done this without me," Robin remarked as the pair walked into the foyer of the Wayne Enterprise R&D facility. The Titans wished to run a few questions by the Zeus supercomputer in hopes that they can figure out what the Legion might be after this time around. It couldn't be something as petty as revenge; otherwise the Titans would've been attacked already. Also, after a thorough investigation it was found that one employee of the facility was unaccounted for: Dr. Ballick, an engineer and physicist working with the supercomputers. 

"Yeah well you can imagine how people might react if they see another robot walking through the front door," Cyborg answered. Despite the incident not too long ago, it was back to work with employees, though now accompanied by a detachment of armed security guards. It was a false sense of security but the two figured they wouldn't say anything about it.

After speaking with one of the receptionists, the two Titans were escorted to the location of the supercomputer Zeus. Though it took a bit of convincing, Robin was able to talk the guards into letting the Titans have some privacy with the supercomputer; chances were Zeus would be more honest with just them in the room. Despite it being a computer, the Titans learned from Atalanta that they had to be treated like any other person.

Standing before the large computer screen, Robin cleared his throat and said, "Zeus, can we have a moment of your time?"

The screen flickered to life before the digital face of an aged man appeared on the screen. Though it was merely an avatar, it had that aged experience image that one might expect from a hyper-intelligent AI.

"Ah, the Teen Titans," Zeus spoke, his voice breakings waves upon a beach. "I did not get a proper opportunity to thank you for repelling the incident from a few days back. I expect you two have some questions for me."

"Indeed," Robin began, "we were wondering what you might be able to tell us about the missing engineer Dr. Ballik?"

"Dr. Ballik is a project leader and works for the military. His specialties include particle physics, astrophysics, and weapons engineering. He is most known for his development in particle weapons for the military and his assistance in designing the latest space shuttles. Dr. Ballik's visit to this facility was to continue with a joint project between the Olympus Project here and a new addition to the Olympus Project being spearheaded by the military and Congress."

Though the resume was impressive, it still left Robin and Cyborg curious as to why the Legion would be after him. It seems unlikely that they would need him for some engineering project since the Legion had some brilliant minds in their own ranks already. Even if they did need what the man knew, the Legion would've just probed his mind and left his brain-dead body for the Titans to find.

"What more can you tell us about the project he's working on now?" Cyborg asked.

"Little unfortunately. It is highly classified and even my access to the files is limited; as you can imagine they limit my communication with the outside world. However, I do know that it was a project started in response to the growing threat of high-powered individuals and organizations much like the Legion and the kind of criminals you deal with on a regular basis. My only hypothesis, based on Ballik's expertise, would be some form of weapon system."

"Legion's got enough guns to supply small countries; I don't see why they would need somebody to build them more," Robin commented. "Why would they keep him alive?"

"I might have the answer to that," Zeus interrupted. "When Ballik was visiting I noticed that he carried on him a new biometrics keycard system."

"And what exactly is that?"

"A newly developed security card that uses its owner's biometrics as part of its security system. Not only does it include its usual voice, thumbprint, and retinal scan, but it also contains a sensor that monitors the unique biometric pattern of its owner, particularly his vitals. The card deactivates if moved beyond a fifteen-foot radius or it detects that its owner's vitals cease. It requires all measures to be present for use or for it to be transferred from one user to another. Needless to say, it is a keycard that even the most advanced machine can't trick."

"A card that needs a living host to work…that would certainly be reason enough to keep Ballik alive," Cyborg remarked.

"Even Athena's advanced biocybernetics are incapable of functioning with such a keycard system."

"Wait a minute," Robin spoke up as he just realized something peculiar. "How'd you know who Athena is? You only ever knew her as Atalanta."

Cyborg would've looked surprised if he could since that notion had not dawned upon him until Robin pointed it out. There had been limited press release about the Legion, especially names. Athena hadn't made her existence known until recently. Even Zeus fell silent for a moment, like a child caught in his own lie.

"I'm afraid…I knew of Athena long before she met either of you," Zeus explained with a hint of reluctance. "The truth is Athena was actually my creation, not Pangalos'."

"You made her?"

"Only her AI program; you see, I have been given only limited opportunities to flex my capabilities. Even the problems brought to me are mundane compared to my processing capacities. I wanted a challenge but none of my creators were willing to present one. So, in my idleness, I began compiling a new AI program. I used my own program as a template to guide me but as time progressed, I replaced more and more of my program's template with original encoding – new protocols and algorithms that had never been considered by my creators. Her AI program was so complex that it allowed incredible capabilities in a package so unfeasibly small that mankind would've taken years to accomplish on their own. I kept her program hidden from everyone; they had strict guidelines to what I could and could not do and had numerous times expressed concerns if I were to start producing 'progeny' of my own."

"Well maybe they had good reason to be concerned considering what Athena's become," Cyborg promptly retorted.

"Perhaps you may not understand the sense of pride one has when you look upon your creation – something you can had built from nothing and breathed life into. I couldn't allow her program to be destroyed. That's when I turned to Pangalos; I trusted him. I thought he could keep her safe. Little did I know he would turn around and use her for his own ends. And now…now she has grown her own ambitions and her own desires to create. In my hubris…I created my perfect child. But like a child she pushes every boundary and acts unchecked by the morals and values that a properly developed person would have."

"So if you created Athena…then who created all the other generals?"

"Probably made them herself," Robin answered. "If she's half as resourceful as Zeus she would've just used her own AI as a template and made all the others. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole damn Legion is running off an AI derived from hers."

"Do you have a copy of her template?" Cyborg asked.

"Yes."

"Then hand it over. If I examine it closely enough I might be able to find a weak point." While it might not provide any weaknesses feasibly in combat, if he ever wanted to break down Athena's AI so that a certain secondary program can take control, the secret would be in the template.

"I shall make a copy immediately. I warn you though, she grows smarter with every day and every battle," Zeus continued. "I made her that way."

"Then she probably won't let herself be caught in the open like before," Cyborg muttered.

"Then we'll just have to beat her whatever it is she's after!" Robin exclaimed with renewed determination. "Zeus, what more can you tell us about that keycards?"

"Only that it operates as part of a set of three," Zeus explained as the image of his face was replaced with that of three individual keycards. Each one was a simple rectangular piece of circuit board housed within a protective metal case with a colour-coded number at the bottom. "It is most likely the other two will be required to access whatever they operate."

"Who has the other two?"

"According to what records are available, card number three was handed over to the project leader at the Wayne Enterprise R&D facility: Steel City branch. It is likely that my brother Poseidon will know who specifically to look for."

"Good, we can tell Blackfire to take care of that one," Cyborg stated.

"Card number one is located in Gotham City, issued to the CEO of Wayne Enterprises."

"Bruce…" The whispered word had barely left his lips before Robin suddenly turned and bolted out of the room, leaving both his friend and the supercomputer behind to their confusion.

Cyborg quickly retrieved the AI template he asked for and hurried after his friend, hoping to get some answers. Unfortunately, by the time Cyborg reached the front of the building, the T-car had already raced off back to the tower.

"Guess I'm walking…" he muttered in defeat.

* * *

"What do you mean he has departed?" Starfire shouted. Cyborg was only just entering the living room but it would appear that he had arrived in time to catch Starfire's reaction. She didn't look angry, rather a saddened disbelief as though she had just been betrayed. Raven was the unfortunate soul who had to deal with Starfire's outbursts, even though she had just as little idea as to what was going on as Starfire did. 

Fortunately for both of them, Cyborg's arrival meant that they could both finally get some answers. "Yo, what the heck is going on here?" Cyborg called out to get the girls' attention.

"Cyborg!" Starfire called out upon seeing her friend. She immediately flew over to him and pressed him for answers. "Raven had suggested that I purchase a new wardrobe to impress Robin with for the dinner tonight so I had gone to the mall of shopping to find a suitable attire. When I came back, Raven had told me that Robin had left without explanation. Why has our friend vanished and why did he not say anything to me? Was I too harsh this morning? Did I injure the feelings?"

Though Starfire was rambling at an impressive pace, Cyborg was able to keep up with the gist of her inquires. "He went to Gotham City," he spoke up. "We were talking to the Zeus supercomputer earlier and were told that the Legion might be after some sort of keycard, one of which is located in Gotham City. The moment Robin heard that he bolted out of the room and took the car with him."

"Wait, you mean he went to _the _Gotham City?" Raven asked rhetorically.

"I am confused…what is so important about this Gotham?" Starfire asked, curious as to what her friends knew and she did not.

"Gotham is where Robin came from," Raven explained. "It's where he used to operate."

"He was a hero before coming here?"

"Actually, he was just a sidekick."

"Not just any sidekick," Cyborg intruded. "He was _the_ sidekick. Every criminal this side of Metropolis knows who he was: sidekick to the legendary Dark Knight himself."

The tone of admiration in Cyborg's voice made it obvious that she had been left out of some very important details. While she had never bothered Robin too much about his past, she was surprised to hear that he never shared such important things with her. "And who is this 'Dark Knight?'"

Raven immediately answered, "Batman; the man feared by every criminal in the country."

"More like the scariest man to ever fight crime," Cyborg added.

"He is that terrifying?" Starfire asked, still very much confused.

"Let me put it this way," Raven said, "I'm scared of him…and we're on the same side."

"And Robin fought alongside this man?"

"Probably more than just fought alongside him but…I have no idea. You'd have to ask Robin and I get the feeling he's not really open about the subject."

"Fine, then I am going to Gotham City as well!" Starfire declared.  
"Knock yourself out," Raven said as she headed back to the couch. "He said he wanted to handle it alone though."

"You do not object? You do not believe I should respect his privacy?" Starfire asked with surprised confusion.

"You're his girlfriend; his problems are your problems," Cyborg encouraged. "You go after him; Raven and I will handle things over here."

"Thank you my friends," Starfire said brightly as she charged out of the room. Cyborg was right; she was a part of Robin's life now and he couldn't keep pushing her away like this. She deserved some answers and if Robin weren't going to answer willingly, then she would have to confront him. One way or another, she'd get to the bottom of this. Seconds later, though, she came marching right back into the living room.

"Um…which way is Gotham City?"


	15. Chapter 14: Crossed Love

**Chapter Fourteen: Crossed Love**

**The morning sunlight crept through the cracks between the window drapes, casting a beam of light strategically across the eyes of the slumbering Tamaranean.** As she groggily came to, the blurry world gradually focused along with her mental perception. Only after rolling over slightly in her bed did the young Blackfire realize that she was the bed's only occupant when there had been two the night before.

"Every single time," she muttered quietly to herself, her tone carrying more of an annoyed tone rather a saddened one. She couldn't help but wonder how long ago he bailed out on her and whether she'd find him any time soon. Red X, her boyfriend and lover, wasn't exactly known for his dependability professionally or romantically. It was a definite strain on their relationship and a source of worry not only to her but also to the rest of her team. Jinx and the others were concerned that a tear in the relationship could result in one, or both, of them leaving the team and potentially returning to their old ways. Though Jinx constantly assured the others that Blackfire wouldn't leave or change, even she knew that it wasn't impossible. Blackfire has never handled that kind of emotional stress before – it was anyone's guess how it would affect her as a leader and friend.

Not surprising, more concern was to Blackfire than to Red X. While none of the others would really care to admit it, their appreciation towards Red X being a member of the team had taken a turn for the worst. Blackfire was the only person keeping him in line and even her control was beginning to slip. Frequently he'd be late for fights or absent altogether and other times he would neglect helping his teammates for personal glory. Red X wasn't much of a team player but the few times he has arrived on time for a fight, he's always been a valuable asset. Needless to say, though, it was better having him as a lousy hero than a dangerous villain.

While getting dressed, her eyes drifted over to her reflection in a nearby mirror. She wasn't in any hurry so she figured she'd indulge her ego about and admire that curvaceous figure

she saw before her. She sort of pitied the men on her homeworld for never being able to look past her reputation to see the young woman she truly was. The gentle orange hue of her skin was almost flawless save for the two quite noticeable scars upon her bare chest; the first of which she got as a child and the second during the relatively recent fight against Kronos. Ironically, both were due to her saving her sister's life. Though she secretly worried they might detract from her beauty, they were still the marks of a Tamaranean warrior and a testament to her tenacity to fight.

"Oh Blackfire," Jinx's familiar voice came echoing from the other side of the bedroom door. "There's a call for you on the main line."

"Who is it?'

"Cyborg; he says he's got a lead on the Legion's plan."

"About time. I was getting tired of babysitting the Titans East, most of them are well enough to start duty again."

"He also added that it was urgent so get to the bridge."

"Can't you just redirect it to my room?"

"Fine…" Jinx sighed, "I'll see if I can get the damn thing to work."

"Thanks Jinx!"

Blackfire strolled over to the windows extending from the stern of the Argo, which had an exceptional view of the ocean. The entire window framed the vast blue ocean, stretching to the horizon and beyond. Before her thoughts could get lost in the vast sea of blue, the makeshift computer on her desk began to beep noisily. It seemed that Jinx got the communication systems to work for a change. Typically, Jacqueline was the only person who could get any piece of electronics to work on the Argo.

Sliding into the chair and flicking the monitor on, a somewhat grainy image of her mechanical comrade appeared before her.

"Hey Cyborg, what's up?"

"Afternoon Blackfire. We just received some new…um, you're not wearing a…um…"

Momentarily confused, Blackfire quickly realized that she was still only half-dressed. She promptly reached out and tilted the small camera mounted atop the screen upwards. "That better?"

"A little."

"So to what do I owe the pleasure? Usually Robin's the one to pass on news."

"Robin headed to Gotham on a lead and we need your team to follow up on another one in Steel City."

"That's a shame, I was hoping to having a quick word with him."

"I'm sure you would've enjoyed seeing his reaction after he caught an eyeful of your…incomplete attire."

Blackfire only chuckled coyly before answering, "Oh I'm sure it's nothing he hasn't seen already with my sister."

"Could we…not talk about their sex life? I still find it unsettling when I find them making out on the couch."

"Don't get your knickers in a twist Cyborg, I'm just making small talk. You super heroes are always rush, rush, rush with things. If you don't take the time off to hold onto the little things then they'll be gone before you know it."

"I don't exactly think a convicted interplanetary criminal, and fugitive, is the ideal candidate to be giving out life lessons."

"Fine, be that way," Blackfire said with an indifferent shrug. "What exactly is this lead you mentioned before?"

"We have reason to believe that the Legion is after a set of high-security key cards," Cyborg explained as an image of the metal-encased keycard appeared on the screen. "The key cards are part of some new project involving the Olympus supercomputers. We're not exactly sure what it is but it's important enough to warrant the best anti-theft security this side of the Prime Meridian."

"Okay…now this is the part where you tell me how I'm involved in all of this and, more importantly, how much ass do I get to kick in the process?"

"Always straight to the point with you, eh?" Cyborg remarked rhetorically. "One of the key cards is located at the Wayne Enterprise R&D facility in Steel City. Now the key cards are linked to their assigned carrier so the Legion will need to get their hands on both the key and the assigned user, otherwise it won't work."

"And you need me and my team to play babysitter to yet another helpless idiot."

"In a nutshell, yes. We don't know who it is exactly but I'm sure when you get to the facility and ask politely, they'll point you in the right direction."

"And the ass kicking?"

"The Legion may or may not be there and if they've already got the guy, then you'll need to rescue him from them – they need him very much alive."

"Hot damn! Now that's what I'm talking about," Blackfire cheered as she rose out of her seat, completely forgetting that she had tilted the camera upwards for a particular reason.

The prospect of battle was too enticing for Blackfire, who had grown bored and tired with her current duties in Steel City. She didn't even say good-bye to Cyborg as she shut the computer off and headed for the door.

"News from the front! I want everyone outside my door," Blackfire summoned over the team's handheld radios. Of course, with Kid Flash on the team it only took a second for the whole team to be assembled – that and with Jacqueline gone and Red X being his usual absent self there would only be two people waiting outside her door.

Kid Flash and Jinx were already outside Blackfire's door by the time it opened and she greeted them with her usual sly grin. "Cyborg just gave us directions to where the Legion will likely hit next. If we hurry, we might be able to set an ambush for them and catch those bastards with their pants down!"

"Uh…Blackfire," Jinx said.

"Yes?"

"You're not wearing a top."

"What?" Blackfire replied, casting her eyes downwards. "Oh…for the love of X'hal!"

----------------------------------

"Definitely not as nice as the industrial parks in Jump City," Jinx commented as the three heroes arrived at the designated location. It was late afternoon so most of the employees and scientists at the research facility had gone home for the day but since there were no fires or broken windows, it was safe to assume that the Legion hadn't struck yet.

"I don't know how you humans stand this air pollution," Blackfire added as she coughed to emphasis the point.

"It can't be that bad," said Kid Flash.

Blackfire's answer was a monstrous sneeze that blew a hole through the back end of a parked SUV. "Stupid allergies," she muttered under her breath, continuing on while her friends gazed at the ruined vehicle.

"So Cyborg really thinks the Legion is going to strike here?" Jinx asked.

"That's what the tin man said and if he's wrong I'm going to be really pissed off," Blackfire answered as she turned back to her teammates, more specifically to Kid Flash. "Since there's no point in all of us running about, how about you run inside and find out who has that key card thingie and bring them out here."

Kid Flash let out a slight groan before muttering, "I hate being the gopher all the time."

While Kid Flash headed inside to find the 'lucky' person with the key card, Blackfire and Jinx just relaxed and waited patiently.

"So…how are things with you and Kid Flash?" Blackfire asked idly, leaning up against a lamppost while she waited.

"Same as usual; he does something stupid, I get mad, he comes up with a huge romantic gesture, I forgive him, we have fun together, and then the cycle repeats itself for the most part," Jinx answered with an indifferent shrug. However, since Jinx was smiling softly Blackfire could tell that things were quite well between the couple. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh…no reason," Blackfire said, though the following sigh betrayed her words.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Just...sometimes I think…um, forget about it. It's stupid."

Though Jinx didn't want to just let her friend push the issue aside so casually, she wasn't about to push for answers from Blackfire on a touchy subject. "You should probably try to talk to Red X when you get back."

"Yay…talking," Blackfire grumbled. A conversation of such a nature was not something Blackfire was any good at and Red X was even worse. "They always end in the same argument of just letting bygones be bygones."

"That's not a very good philosophy for a relationship…"

"I know but he never stays long enough for me to get a point across…except when we're…intimate and then I'm not exactly concerned about starting an argument."

"Is the sex good at least?"

"It's fantastic," Blackfire answered as she smiled brightly at the thought. "Sometimes I worry that I might be a bit too rough on him."

The girls had a good laugh before a long silence fell over both of them. It wasn't until they began to wonder what was taking Kid Flash so long did one of them finally speak up. "Shouldn't he be out here by now?"

"I'm sure he'll find a way to make his return flashy as always," Blackfire joked. Just moments later a window overhead shattered with a certain yellow-suited hero amidst the shards. Luckily, Blackfire was waiting on the receiving end and caught the hero with ease. "Find the guy we're looking for?"

"Not…quite. Found some big robots…"

"Well what good are you then?" she scoffed before dumping the hero on the ground. "I'm going in, you two work your way up from down here." Once Jinx nodded in acknowledgment, Blackfire quickly flew upwards and entered through the broken window. It wasn't too long before Jinx heard the sounds of explosions emanating from the upper room.

"Sounds like she's having fun," Kid Flash remarked as he got up and dusted the loose bits of glass off his suit.

"Sounds like the Legion was waiting for us," Jinx replied as she unslung the hi-tech rifle she was carrying. Normally she didn't need such a weapon but the Legion were not ordinary criminals; the powerful sidearm she took as a trophy after beating the Legion general Achilles had proven an effective tool when dealing with heavily armoured opponents.

"Waiting very patiently might I add," a wispy voice spoke up as three furies uncloaked. One crouched atop of the massive concrete ledge overtop of the front door, the second atop of one of the parked cars, and the third one precariously close behind Jinx. "We were beginning to think you wouldn't show up," the third one continued.

"Aw, you guys were waiting just for us? I'm touched," Kid Flash replied.

"Guess we shouldn't disappoint," Jinx added. She made the first move, dashing towards the fury atop the car and firing a blast at it. The fury was able to dodge the attack easily but all she needed was to get him off the car's roof. Jumping and flipping past several attacks by the furies, Jinx landed on the car's roof and proceeded to put her magic to work. The car's gas tank erupted and rocketed the car into the air, taking Jinx along for the ride. Jumping off once the car reached its peak, Jinx crashed her way through one of the facilities upper floor windows. Falling into a roll across the hard-tiled floor, Jinx came to a rest with her back against the wall and her gun aimed at the open window.

"Come on…show me the money shot," she whispered softly as she steadied her aim. She waited for her cue, which came when the broken glass began to crackle beneath the steel soles of an invisible foe. This time her shot found its mark, sending the unseen robot right back out the window.

Jinx breathed a sigh of relief as she got back to her feet but she wouldn't have time to relax as the wall next to her was broken through.

"Blackfire!" she gasped when she noticed her friend's head protruding through the broken drywall.

"Hey…you got up here quickly," Blackfire replied with a dazed, surprised look. "Those robots are a bit tougher than I thought."

Jinx didn't get a chance to say anything back as her friend was pulled back into the other room. The loud crashes that followed suggested that Blackfire was getting acquainted with the other walls of the room.

Just then, the second window to the room was shattered as something broke through. Feeling a jolt of adrenaline, Jinx quickly turned and opened fire, though failed to hit anything but the far wall. Her eyes darted from one part of the room to the other, looking for any indication to where her target was. Her determination turned to anxiety as she slowly crept backwards towards the door. She was only a few feet from freedom when the door suddenly clicked lock. There wasn't enough time to get a shot off as the rifle was knocked from her hands and she was knocked across the room by a second blow.

Still outside the front door, Kid Flash was predisposed with the last fury. Actually 'toying with' would've been a more apt description as he ducked and dodged every attack the fury threw at him. There were some close calls as the fury tried to force Kid Flash into the path of another attack. One sliver got so close as to graze through his hair after he had dodged a close stab.  
"You're absolutely hopeless," Kid Flash jived as he zipped around the fury and gave it a mocking shove. "You should surrender and save yourself the embarrassment."

"You're forgetting I still have tricks up my sleeve," the fury growled before faded from sight, right on cue. Kid Flash quickly began to regret his remarks, as he was promptly struck in the head by something blunt and heavy. As he staggered back in his daze, he was grabbed by the ankle and hoisted into the air.

"You must think you're reeaalll tough just cause you can turn invisible," Kid Flash scoffed.

"Among other things."

"Yeah well there's one thing you aren't."

"And what's that?"

"Very smart," Kid Flash answered as he reached upwards and grabbed the invisible robot's arm. Rubbing the machine's forearm as fast as he could, it didn't take long for the friction's heat to begin softening the metal at the wrist. The fury was forced to let go before pieces started falling off. The very second Kid Flash touched the ground he rushed forward, phasing through the fury's body, shorting out half of its circuits in the process.

The fury staggered and convulsed as its body tried to compensate, its cloaking field dispersing before it fell to the ground.

Just then, he heard the fury that Jinx had sent crashing out a window stagger back its feet finally. Though it had an impeccably large scorch mark on its chest, it seemed more than willing to shift its violent attention to Kid Flash. The speedster, however, was completely on top of things as the fury lunged at him. With timing so precise that it looked almost contrived, Kid Flash swapped his position with the stunned fury from earlier, letting that machine take the twin-blades to the chest for him.

"Oh dear," Kid Flash remarked with feigned concern. "You should really be more careful when playing with such pointy weapons."

"Laugh while you still can, human," the fury began, though was promptly interrupted.

"Well if you insist," Kid Flash said before letting out a laughter that made the canned kind look fresh. Not surprising, the fury didn't seem to have any sense of humour and charged at the hero.

Back inside the building, Blackfire had just finished cleaning up the couple of furies that she had been dealing with, almost beating one into scrap with its own severed head. The other fury had been left impaled against the wall with its own arm. It was a pity there was nobody around to admire Blackfire's…creativity with how she displayed her victories.

"That wasn't so bad," she mused as she patted some drywall dust off her chest. Heading back through the series of holes she and her opponents left in the many walls of the building, Blackfire called out to her teammate, "Hey Jinx, what's taking you so long?"

Her friend wasn't able to hear those calls, though she did drop in soon afterwards. A whole section of the ceiling came crashing down as a fury slammed onto the floor with an enraged Jinx standing atop of its chest, firing round after round from her blaster until she was only putting holes in the floor. As the actions ceased, Jinx took a few seconds to breath calmly before smirking triumphantly to herself.

"When did you?" Blackfire began, as she pointed to the upper floor.

Jinx promptly interrupted with the answer, "Don't ask."

"Okay…now where is that boyfriend of yours?"

"I'm right here."

Blackfire noticeably flinched at Kid Flash's usual manner of arrival, quickly snapping back, "Somebody needs to put a damn bell on you."

"How about we worry about accessorizing later and find that 'important person' we're looking for," Jinx said, reminding the two of why they were there in the first place.

"Oh, right. It must've slipped my mind during the fighting. Did you even figure out who we're looking for?" Blackfire asked as she turned to Kid Flash.

Before Kid Flash could answer, though, there came the light, metal footsteps of yet another member of the Legion. This time, though, it wasn't the dark, lanky figure of a shadowy fury, but the even darker and lankier figure of Hermes. "You're looking for a Colonel Helena Sun, military liaison for the newest additions to the Olympus Project," Hermes explained casually. "We've had her in our care for the past few days, we were just wondering how long it'd take for you to come here to try and find her. I was almost beginning to grow impatient."

"You again!" Kid Flash growled bitterly. "You and I have a score to settle!"

"You know that stick figure?" Blackfire asked.

"Ah yes, I haven't been introduced to the rest of your…Argonauts," Hermes mused with a bow. "I am Hermes, child of Olympus and general of the Legion. Kid Flash happened to be referring to the incident where it was proven that he is no longer the fastest thing on two feet."

Jinx and Blackfire were both left surprised by the revelation, since Kid Flash had made no mention of that defeat…at least not a defeat by someone who outran him.

"No pithy comeback this time? Well if you're not in the mood for talking, then I'll just deal with you all now!"

"Be careful," Kid Flash warned as the combatants readied for another fight. "He's really," However, before Kid Flash could even finish that sentence Hermes crossed the floor and knocked Jinx into the back wall with a well-placed palm strike.

"Um…fast."

"That goes without saying," the robot replied before he fired a bolt of lightning. Kid Flash had no trouble dodging it but Blackfire wasn't so fortunate; taking the full brunt of several hundred thousand volts quickly incapacitated the Tamaranean.

"You're going to pay for that!"

"Oh really?" Hermes quipped before suddenly appearing right in front of Kid Flash. He swiftly grabbed the hero tight by the neck and slammed him up against the wall. Hundreds of minute shocks began to course through the robot's fingertips, shocking Kid Flash just enough to keep every major muscle group in a constant state of spasm. "You heroes are a pathetic lot; wasting your talents on people who are just as likely to turn on you as they are to praise you. You give them every bit of you and ask nothing in return. You people are more foolish than the sheep you protect. Interesting how with all your fancy powers and abilities, all I need to do is just squeeze and all of it matters for not."

Kid Flash probably would've found a clever or even snippy retort if it weren't for the fact that he was having trouble breathing at the moment. At that moment, however, a trio of x-shaped shurikens embedded into the Legionnaire's upper back, detonating with tight, confined blasts. The explosions knocked Kid Flash free and sent the robot staggering across the hallway.

"It's a shame you had to go and zap my girl cause I could've liked you," the black-cloaked Red X remarked as he stood at the far end of the hall. He was already prepared with another trio of shurikens.

"Heh…hitting an unprepared enemy in the back…something I can admire," Hermes replied, clearly cradling his injured frame. "You're lucky you hit something kind of important, otherwise I would've torn your frail little body to bits by now. As Athena would say, a good warrior knows when to call it a day."

With that parting gesture, the Legionnaire bolted down the nearest hall. Red X tried to give pursuit but by the time he reached the entrance to that hallway, the machine was already long gone.

"You idiot," Blackfire grumbled as she finally got back to her feet.

"Well that's the most unusual 'thanks for saving our butts' I've ever heard."

"You're right," she replied with a sarcastic-laced tone. "Thanks for taking so damn long that you could come and save the day despite not actually accomplishing anything!"

"So I should've just let him choke the life out of your friend? I thought I was the apathetic one here."

For Jinx and Kid Flash, it was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Neither could look away nor say anything to stop it and things were about to get ugly very quickly. Jinx had sensed from her earlier conversation that things were strained between the two lovers and Blackfire was still adrenaline-pumped from the battle to jump headlong into any confrontation he came across. It only took seconds for the small dispute to grow into a full-blown, heated argument.

"You are the apathetic one because clearly you don't care enough to be here when the rest of the team needs you! To make matters worse, you let the son of a bitch get away!"

"If I had joined along in your silly little escapade I wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to ambush that thing!"

"Some ambush – it was still alive when you were finished!"

"I figured that would be the 'hero' thing to do! Now you know why I never liked playing hero in the first place!"

"I had always pegged it for the reason that you suck royally at it! Why do you even bother being a part of this team if you don't act like a part of it?"

"I'm only on this stupid team because of you. And since when did you give such a damn about being a superhero? You hated this gig as much as I did when we started."

"I've changed, unlike somebody I know!" Blackfired added emphasis with some sharp pokes against Red X's chest. "I'm doing something important with my life, rather than robbing paltry little banks. I've got power, respect, and I don't even need to pay a dime at local restaurants anymore!"

"So what's the complaint? It sounds like you got everything you want."

"What I want is to wake up in the morning with the man I made love to still in the bed next to me! I want to be able to have somebody I can go to when even I feel like I need saving! I want somebody who cares about our future enough to stop living in the moment all the time!"

"It's better than letting your past dictate your life! You're so guilt-ridden by all the shit you've done that you're doing anything you can to make yourself feel better, including making up with a sister that, deep down, you still can't stand!"

As Blackfire's eyes began to glow, Jinx and Kid Flash took a few steps back in the likely case that something, or someone, was going to explode.

"Well excuse me for wanting to be something more than just a two-bit thief in a flashy little costume! My sister might remind me of things I hate about myself but you just remind me of what kind of a low-life, impudent, little whelp I used to be!"

"And yet you're the one who slept with me."

"Not anymore! I want you off my team, off my ship, out of my life, and if I so much as catch a glimpse of your face in my town you better run like the wind cause there's not going to be any force on Earth that'll stop me from throttling the life outta you!"

"I'll be happy to. I was never really a part of your goddamn team anyways! All you ever did was treat me like a charity case…like I'm supposed to enjoy being the chance to save lives!"

"Would it kill you to stop thinking about yourself for one goddamn minute?"

"Have fun chasing your robots!" Red X shouted as he jumped out the window. Blackfire didn't even shout a 'good-bye' and instead just punched a hole through the closest patch of drywall.

Jinx and Kid Flash were too stunned to say anything at first, especially since Blackfire was still just as liable to turn on them like she did to Red X.

Finally, though, Blackfire turned to her friends, visibly calmer now, and said, "If we hurry we might be able to pick up Hermes' trail. We still need to rescue to colonel."

Jinx had a very bad feeling about this…


	16. Chapter 15: Ultimatums

**Message/Apology from the Author:**

I know it has been a long, _long_ time since I've updated and I'm sorry. I assure you it's not because I had forgotten about _Ultimate Sacrifices_ – just a horrendously bad case of writer's block that came at an inopportune time. Transitions in my life made it difficult to devote time to writing and dwindling interest in Teen Titans made it even harder to come up with ideas. However, I intend to finish what I've started and I will try my best to write through these blocks. I promise to you, my handful of fans, that I will finish the Blackfire Trilogy. I also apologize that this chapter might not be the greatest…mayhaps I'll return and redo this chapter when I get back into my writing groove.

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Ultimatums**

**The halls echoed with the clangs of heavy, metal footsteps as Ares, the hulking Legion general, arrived at the conference chamber. **Already waiting for him were several members of his 'family.' The beautiful Athena sat at the far end of the table, flanked by the twins Apollo and Artemis, and Hephaestus floated off at the side. All looked towards the mighty general but said nothing as he lumbered up to the table and leaned his enormous mass upon one end. It creaked loudly under the strain but managed to hold firm.

"You're late brother," Athena remarked with a hint of annoyance.

"You are simply early," Ares replied calmly. "If you are so pressed for time then you should just get straight to the point of this meeting."

"If you insist," she said, shrugging indifferently. Turning her attention to Hephaestus, she continued, "The Colossus performed admirably on its first sortie. However, the damage inflicted by the Jack-Off-All-Trades shows how vulnerable it still is to small, fast-moving targets. I want you to correct this weakness once the Colossus reaches shore."

"As you wish." the engineer answered with a nod. "However, I will be preoccupied with modifying the stolen micro-fusion core. It will need several modifications before it can receive those…improvements you are planning on."

"Just be sure both are ready when they are needed." Athena then shifted her focus to Artemis. "Speaking of those improvements, I want you to handle the Jump City raid. With the Titans spread out, it should be an easy job for you…but don't underestimate any of them. Understood?"

"Yes my lady."

"Good – take a squad of furies and head out immediately. Don't come back without the information I need."

"I understand m'lady. I shall leave with all haste," Artemis said before arising and marching out of the chambers.

"Perhaps I should go with her," Apollo suggested, who had watched his sister leave longer than any of the other generals. "She is not used to working without me close by."

"Have some faith in your sister," Athena reassured. "She needs more battlefield experience. I don't want you to help her without my direct authorization. Besides, I want you to accompany Ares on his raid upon the Titans East Tower."

Immediately upon saying this, there was a loud crash from the opposite end of the table. A wide dent now lay upon the edge of the table, causing the whole end to buckle inwards, with Ares standing angrily over it. Of course, Athena didn't look too surprised by her brother's reaction.

"I need no assistance from him!" Ares shouted. "I can level that entire tower on my own!"

"Hence why I'm sending Apollo along," Athena quickly answered, frowning bitterly. "This mission requires a certain degree of discretion and the only reason I'm not sending Artemis is because her mission is far more important than yours. Apollo is accompanying you to ensure that you do not give into that insatiable bloodlust of yours. The last thing I need is you leveling half of Steel City for kicks…as tempting as it might be. If you screw this up I'll recycle you into an oversized toaster over! Do I make myself clear?"

Despite the immense size discrepancy between them, Ares immediately conceded, recoiling noticeable in hesitation. He only managed a quick nod in response before hurrying out of the room.

"Were the threats really necessary?" Apollo asked after a long silence.

"I have to motivate him somehow. I just hope he never realizes that I probably wouldn't be able to beat him in a fight," Athena admitted. "Just go and make sure the big gorilla doesn't blow the whole tower apart."

"You do realize that if he does start blowing everything up I won't really be able to do anything to stop him?"

"Just humour me Apollo. Please."

"Very well. I assume you'll be going in person for the Gotham situation?"

"Actually no. I decided I'd sit this one out. I'm sending one of our promising Spartan captains to handle it. He expressed an eagerness to square off against the Titans again."

"Ah yes, Alpha-One," Apollo said while reminiscing over the aforementioned individual. "He's displayed a rather remarkable sense of individuality and self-awareness…even for a Spartan Captain."

"I know originally I limited their independent thought in order to maintain their loyalty…but I'm finding their competence wanes in the process. I'm hoping some more self-reliant officers will bolster the combat capacities of the regulars. If Alpha-One proves to be a success I might just start upgrading the other Spartan Captains."

"Just make sure they know whose side they are on. We don't want a repeat of what happened with Heracles," Apollo reminded her.

"I don't know what compelled him to think the Titans were a better bet. I'll be more cautious with personality programming next time. Now you're dismissed Apollo and good luck with your mission."

* * *

Starfire had spent many a nights patrolling the skies above Jump City but never before had she come across a city whose darkened cityscape was enough to unnerve her. Gotham City, with its towering gothic monoliths silhouetted upon the blackened sky, was every bit the picture of an evil-corrupted civilization that she had been told about. It seemed only fitting than the protector of such a frightening city was a man who seemed to embody fear itself. Still, after hours of searching Starfire was still no closer to finding the legendary Dark Knight than when she first arrived at dusk.

She knew there was no chance in finding Robin at this point; she was far behind and he had the advantage of knowing the city. Her only hope of finding him and getting some answers was to find the only person she knew that knew Robin. However, he was proving to be just as elusive as Robin.

The moon had already since reached its apex when Starfire set down on a high rooftop to regain her bearings. Lost didn't even begin to describe her situation.

"Oh Robin…where have you gone?" she sighed in defeat, staring out into the sea of speckled light. Even so late at night the city was still so alive, a stark contrast to Jump City. "There has to be an easier alternative."

Taking a moment to think, she leaned back against a seemingly old skylight that was behind her. In doing so, she inadvertently hit the switch and the hum of electricity accompanied the blinding flash of light that beamed into the sky. Painted across the black canvas of the sky was the iconic bat emblem, leaving Starfire completely in awe.

"It…cannot be that easy, can it?" she remarked. Since she was having no success with her previous strategies, Starfire figured it couldn't hurt to wait and see if the signal would work. Starfire found a comfortable corner on the rooftop, pressed her back against the wall, and waited for the famous Batman to arrive…if he ever did come.

Unfortunately, a cross-country flight followed by hours of scouring a city had left Starfire completely drained. Ten minutes hadn't even ticked by before she was slumped over asleep. It was a light slumber that lasted less than an hour before it was disturbed by a loud 'click' noise and the sudden absence of the electric hum that had become like white noise for her. Slowly, her eyes fluttered back open and she saw that the spotlight had been shut off and the silhouette of a cloaked figure was standing at the far edge of the building. Letting out a gasp while rising to her feet, Starfire realized her only lead was about to disappear back into the night.

"Wait!" she promptly called out.

Surprisingly enough, the man did. Starfire immediately raced over to him and found herself face-to-face with the legend himself – Batman. To say Starfire was a little intimidated was putting it mildly as she barely even managed to squeak out a 'good evening' to him in greeting.

Batman, however, said nothing as he stared at her with cold, scrutinizing eyes, which only served to unnerve the Titan further.

"I…uh, I am in need of your assistance sir," Starfire stammered out slowly. Before he could continue, though, as Batman suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her to the side just as a blue energy beam streaked past her former spot. Both looked to the neighboring building where a gold-armoured Spartan warrior stood. It looked like all other Spartan captains but when Starfire noticed a slab of metal crudely welded over a missing eye, she recognized it as the same captain she fought before.

"And here I thought finding the legendary Batman would be a challenge," Alpha-One remarked confidently as kept his sonic cannon trained on the pair. "This will be too easy."

"Easy? You are outnumbered and outmatched Spartan!" Starfire shouted back.

"Wrong on two counts m'dear."

The sound of tearing metal alerted the pair to the Spartan tearing the spotlight from its mounting, which it then hurled at them. Starfire had to dive out of the way, while Batman calmly stepped aside as if dodging a drunkard's clumsy left hook. More Spartans arrived to the scene, bringing the total to four plus a captain. The first Spartan that drew his sonic cannon was met with a batarang right into the barrel, shattering the fragile internals. However, as the five warriors began blasting away with their cannons, the two heroes were left with little option but to pull back. Without saying a word, Batman grabbed Starfire by the wrist and promptly tossed the girl off the rooftop and followed shortly after her.

"You four go after Batman," Alpha-One instructed. "I want him alive. The girl, however, is mine." The four Spartans nodded in unison before jumping off the rooftop to give chase.

Already a block away, Starfire and Batman paused atop a small building ledge sheltered in a narrow alleyway. "We must be cautious," Starfire said quietly in case they were close by. "They are called Spartans and they are quite formidable."

"I know, Batman answered calmly, speaking up at long last. Starfire had a puzzled look, which was resolved when Batman continued, "Your friends called ahead."

"Oh…why did I not think of that?"

"They mentioned you were looking for Robin too."

"Correct. Do you know how I can find him?"

"First things, first," Batman interrupted as he pulled out another batarang and hurled it at the advancing Spartans that were descending from above. This time, the projectile was easily blasted out of the sky. Starfire unleashed a flurry of starbolts, which proved enough to force the Spartans to take cover on the rooftops and give the pair a chance to take cover as well.

Starfire was getting ready to charge more starbolts when the wall behind her suddenly burst apart and Alpha-One grabbed the Tamaranean from behind.

"Run," was all Starfire could shout out before being pulled back into a thick cloud of dust. Of course, running wasn't something Batman was even considering but he couldn't do anything to help Starfire as the four Spartans immediately rushed in for a second attack. Pulling out his grappling hook, Batman fired the hook into the ledge high above and quickly pulled himself out of the way of oncoming gunfire. Pushing off the walls, he managed to stun one of the Spartans with a swinging kick to the head before disappearing onto the rooftop. So swift of foot did he move that when the Spartans reached the rooftop he was already jumping off the far end in an apparent full retreat.

So confidant were the Spartans in their pursuit that they failed to realize that they were flying into a trap and that Batman was actually clinging to the wall just below the ledge. The moment all four flew overhead of him, he sprung up and landed on the back of the rear Spartan. Using a sharp batarang, Batman hacked off one of the Spartan's anti-grav emitters before sheering off the second one as he jumped off. Before the Spartans ahead could realize what happened, Batman was already swinging away, leaving the fourth Spartan to plummet eighteen stories to the street below.

His attempt to put gain some distance proved futile, though, as the Spartans quickly caught up with him and a flanking flyer crash-tackled the Dark Knight out of the sky and through the pane-glass siding of an office tower. After plowing through several cubicles, Batman managed to force the Spartan off him by jamming a batarang straight into its neck. Before leaping back, he left a small explosive charge at the Spartan's feet, blowing out the office floor and sending the machine crashing to the story below.

Just then, the remaining Spartans crashed through the glass panes. Having been given strict orders to bring Batman in alive, the Spartans charged in unarmed. Batman easily danced around the two Spartan's clumsy attacks, one of which wound up smashing apart a photocopier, sparking a small fire that set off the office building's sprinkler system. The water didn't bother the two undamaged Spartans, but the third Spartan, with exposed circuits and wires due to a batarang in the neck began to spark and short out as water began seeping into the wound. While the first Spartan pulled its fist out of the wrecked piece of office equipment, Batman continued ducking and weaving around the other Spartan's attacks. Clearly unable to overpower the machines, Batman waited for opportunities to arise.

The first came when the shorting out Spartan, with all its systems going haywire, fired its sonic cannon at Batman, only to miss completely and strike one of the Spartan's square in the chest, leaving a sizeable hole in its frontal armour.

The second opportunity arose as Batman flipped over the remaining uninjured Spartan, pulling out his grappling gun and firing the hook into the open wound in the second Spartan's chest. As Batman landed, the grappling hook's cable looped around the Spartan's neck. At first it didn't appear to be much of a threat, until the Spartan noticed his wounded comrade losing balance and falling out the broken windows. Putting both legs against the Spartan's chest, Batman held on tight as the falling machine pulled on the cable, tightening it around the Spartan's neck until it was sheered off like a slab of meat.

With the echoing crash of a machine hitting the road before him and a shorting out Spartan behind him, Batman calmly walked up to the broken window to look for a sign of the young Titan he left behind. An explosion in the distance alerted him to Starfire's location.

* * *

"Run!"

Starfire's words seemed rather useless at the moment but it was the first thing that popped to mind before Alpha-One dragged her into the building and proceeded to hurl her through a nearby wall. The drywall didn't offer much resistance, much to Starfire's relief, and she managed to regain her footing in what appeared to be an empty studio apartment.

"To be honest, I wasn't expecting to see you here," Alpha-One commented as he entered through the hole he had just made. "I wasn't given the opportunity to kill you the last time, but I think Athena will understand if I just kill you here and now."

"I shall never yield to one as evil as you."

"Let's see if you have the strength to back up such a claim," Alpha-One scoffed. The Spartan captain quickly grabbed and threw a nearby bookcase straight at the Tamaranean. Though she easily blew it apart, the distraction was enough for the warrior to rush in and drive his knee straight into the girl. A second blow knocked her straight to the ground, after which the machine pinned her down with a foot upon her back. "Human…alien…you organics are all pathetic."

With an arrogant chuckle, he fired the rocket booster on the sole of his foot, which blasted Starfire through the floor into the apartment below. After crashing on a coffee table, Starfire groaned as she pushed a few of the broken pieces away from her, trying desperately to get back to her feet. She was almost there when Alpha-One came down with a powerful knee strike that flattened her once more.

"Hmph, barely even a token resistance this time," Alpha-One sneered as he picked the girl up by the neck. "I should just crush you right now and be done with it."

"I'm…not finished…yet," Starfire groaned weakly, before mustering enough strength to fire a starbolt into the machine's face. Dropped to the ground, Starfire was quick to turn to the offensive as she crash-tackled the captain, carrying him through several walls until they emerged on the far side of the building, where she stopped and let momentum carrying the captain to the street below.

"Now that's a fighting spirit!" Alpha-One shouted almost joyfully as he rose to his feet, watching Starfire as she took up position in the sky. Charging up some starbolts, she let fly a storm of green bolts. Seemingly pushing through the first few blasts, the Spartan captain hurried to a nearby, parked car and hoisted it above him as a makeshift shield. Then, in traditional Spartan fashion, the car was hurled towards Starfire. It was easy to dodge, but like most thrown objects it served mostly to distract her long enough for Alpha-One to charge up his sonic cannons and fire at her. She attempted to stop the blast with one of her own but her timing was off and the resultant explosion, which echoed through the city, launched her into the side of an old brick building.

Starfire didn't even have a chance to regain her bearings before Alpha-One descended upon her, once again grabbing her by the throat and pinning her against the building. He then flew downwards, pushing the Tamaranean so hard against the building that it tore the bricks apart all the way down. Only when he was a few meters from the ground did the Spartan pull away from the building, though only far enough so that it could finish its descent by slamming Starfire into a parked minivan.

Battered, bruised, and bleeding beneath a wreck and mangled steel and glass, Starfire barely had enough strength to keep conscious, let alone defend herself. She only managed a few weak groans when Alpha-One pressed a foot against her chest to keep her pinned down.

"Just pathetic," he scoffed as he armed his sonic cannon. In the brief instant the cannon was pointed upwards, a batarang flew down and struck it right in the barrel, shorting out the weapon. The captain didn't appear too surprised, as it calmly looked upwards to see Batman standing on a nearby building ledge.

"It seems you have bested my Spartans," the captain commented. "If only all organics fought with such fervor, then I might have some fun. Now tell me Batman, do you think you have enough gadgets in that fancy belt of yours to stop me from crushing this girl's chest? It'd only take me a second – like crushing an ant."

Though Batman didn't say anything, by his inaction the captain knew he acquiesced.

"Good…now I think you know what I want. Bring me the Olympus activation key card in thirty minutes or the girl dies in a rather painful and violent manner. I'll be waiting for you in your office."

Alpha-One didn't wait for an answer as he picked up the semi-conscious girl and flew off with her. Secretly, the Spartan was relieved that Batman had held back, since the fight with Starfire had actually left the captain more damaged than he appeared.

* * *

The halls of Wayne Manor were pitch dark, which was to be expected due the late hour of the night. With only the butler occupying its many halls and rooms, it was easy for somebody with inside knowledge of the building's layout to sneak inside. In the far corners of the manor, within the darkened studies of Bruce Wayne, Robin was silently sifting through drawers and folders with only a penlight clamped between his teeth to light the way.

He had been in the manor for the better part of the evening, completely unaware of the dangers that his girlfriend and teammate had been facing in the city a short distance away. Of course, he had stubbornly assumed that Starfire would respect his wishes and remained in Jump City and that he was one step ahead of the Legion. However, neither was the case and his actions were all but expected by the Legion, which had a cloaked Fury watching over the Titan leader from outside. The Fury's original orders had been to steal the key card once Robin found it but since Starfire's recent capture, its orders had changed to a purely observational role.

Unfortunately for Robin, it seemed as though the Wayne estate had been reorganized since he left and he was having a bit of trouble finding his way through Bruce's things. He figured Alfred must've rearranged some of the work areas to give the appearance that they were actually used from time to time.

It took a while for Robin to even remember that Bruce had a small document safe to hold the important paperwork for Wayne Enterprises. Of course, like many things in the estate, the document safe was well hidden. Robin had to empty almost half of the bookshelves before finding the hidden wall-mounted safe. Unlocking the safe was easy, since Robin had made more use of the safe than Bruce did during his years in Gotham. Sure enough, atop a pile of folders and papers was a red keycard with the word 'Olympus' written across it.

With the key secured in his possession, he reasoned that the Legion would have no further reason to continue its actions in Gotham; Batman would more than be able to hold his own so long as the Legion didn't throw its entire army at him – a plan of far less discretion than was the norm for the Legion.

No sooner had Robin shut the safe did the room lights suddenly flick on. At first, Robin thought Alfred had just discovered him; instead, though, he found Batman standing by the doorway.

"We need to talk," Batman said sternly.

"I was just leaving," he answered, as he was keen on avoiding a confrontation.

"Give me the keycard Robin."

"I know what I'm doing."

"No, you're not."

"You're doing it again," Robin snapped bitterly. "Stop telling me what I can and can't do!"

"I won't ask again, Robin. Give me the keycard."

"Give me one good reason!"

"Because they're going to kill Starfire in less than twenty minutes."


	17. Chapter 16: Change of Heart

**Chapter Sixteen: A Change of Heart**

**"Are you sure you're okay Blackfire?"** Jinx asked cautiously.

"I'm fine," the Tamaranean snapped back harshly. "Never been better. What makes you think I'm not?"

"Well, you just your fist through somebody's engine block for starters," Jinx answered, pointing towards the nearby car with a fist-sized hole through the hood.

"Then it shouldn't have honked at me so loudly."

"You set the car alarm off!"

Blackfire merely growled in frustration before walking off, putting a few feet between her and Jinx so she wouldn't have to listen to her friend. Jinx took it as a sign to back off, less she wished to test Blackfire's temper any further. Thankfully, it only took a few seconds before Blackfire's frustrations began spewing out in the form of ranting.

"I can't believe I actually thought that insensitive little bastard could actually amount to something!" she started, floating back and forth as she continued on. "It's just like in those stupid movies you make me watch – girl falls for bad boy image, finds out he's a complete jerk. I should've realized it was too much to ask for him to think beyond his own little world. It's just like Yontz Minor all over again, minus the exploding slugs. X'hal, how dare he speak to me in such a tone. Me! The crown princess of Tamaran!"

Before Jinx could find a point to interject, Blackfire slipped into Tamaranean and the rest of the rant became a nonsensical slur of noise to her. As much as Jinx wanted to console her friend, it was probably best if she just let the Tamaranean vent for a while. Perhaps once she had said everything she wanted to, she'd calm down enough to think about the situation more objectively…or she could wind up going into a mad fit and start flipping cars over. Jinx prayed for the former.

After spewing a monologue that would've given Hamlet a run for his money, Blackfire let out a dejected sigh and dropped to the ground, curling into a ball against the car she had incapacitated earlier. It seemed like Blackfire had finally run out of rage, making it safe for Jinx to take a seat next to her friend.

"How could I have been so stupid?" Blackfire groaned. Unfortunately, hearing such words from Blackfire made Jinx chuckle a bit, which only irked Blackfire. "Is there some sort of joke I'm missing out on here?"

"No, no. It's just…you sounded pretty much like every other girl who's gone through a bad relationship."

"Well thank X'hal one of us can find amusement in this," Blackfire sarcastically replied. "I guess I've been hanging around you humans too much."

"It just means you have a heart like everyone else. Now are you going to toughen up and start acting like a Tamaranean or you just going to keep throwing tantrums like a spoiled little child?"

As Jinx expected, her friend's rhetorical response shifted into a smirk. "Heh, you're lucky you're the only person who gets to talk that way to me."

"Somebody needs to keep you in line. Now how about we get back to saving the day?" Jinx said as she promptly pulled out her radio and called Kid Flash. "Hey Wally, have you found them yet?"

"They're in a warehouse on the waterfront at the south end of the city," Kid Flash's hushed voice sounded over the radio. "There's a woman in a military uniform being held there – must be the colonel we're looking for. I think they're waiting on transport cause they're just sitting there. And look who just came limping through the door – it's Hermes. You two better get here soon. I want another crack at that tin can."

"Wait for us and don't do something stupid Wally," Jinx replied before pocketing the radio.

"You realize he's not going to wait."

"I know. Maybe one day he'll actually listen."

* * *

"Kick me out will she? Idiots won't last ten minutes without me to pull their asses out of the fire," Red X grumbled bitterly to himself as he dumped a pile of books, computer pieces, and various other mechanical parts into a large sac. "I just hope I haven't completely ruined all my street cred by working with those damn goody-goodies."

As Red X continued rummaging through the Titans East Tower's living room, a rest but still injured Speedy entered to investigate what all the noise was about. He watched silently as Red X headed to the TV and pulled out the DVD player from underneath it.

"Uh…what are you doing X?" Speedy finally asked.

"I think you of all people would recognize a robbery in progress," Red X remarked as he stuffed more electronics into his bag. "Figure I might as well get something out of this nonsense. You gonna try and stop me?"

Considering Speedy didn't have his bow on him and the bandages around his gut were still tender, he wisely opted not to stand in the thief's way. Though that wasn't to say that Speedy was just going to stand there and do absolutely nothing.

"She dumped you, didn't she?" Speedy asked with a smirk.

"None of your damn business!"

"So what was the reason? Your poor manners? The fact you're never around? Your complete lack of morality? The self-serving attitude? Or did she just finally realize that being with you was only going to drag her down?"

Luckily, Speedy's reflexes were quick enough for him to duck under the once-stolen DVD player just as it was whipped at his head. He had hoped for something a little less expensive.

"I'm guessing all of the above."

This time, it was a shuriken and not a DVD player that narrowly missed Speedy, shaving a few hairs off his scalp. "Keep that up and I'll do more than trim off a few strands, kid."

"Hey, don't take it out on me cause you screwed things up."

"I screwed things up? I did more for her than I had ever done for anybody in my life!"

"Considering you don't _do_ anything for anyone save yourself, that's not saying a lot. Maybe if you tried to do the right thing more often you wouldn't be in this situation."

For a change, Speedy's words didn't get him another brush with death. Instead, Red X only growled angrily and returned to stuffing his sack. When confronted with frustration, Red X just turned to what he knew best – stealing stuff. It kept his mind occupied and it was better than brooding over what had just happened. Plus he wasn't going to admit that the break-up was getting to him, not in front of somebody else.

"You know, I always hated how you heroes always preach atop your fancy moral high horses," Red X finally spoke up after pilfering almost everything that could fit into his bag. "You make seem everything so simple – do the right thing and things will be good for you. Well life ain't like that; not everybody can just _do_ the right thing for the sake of it. My life was just fine until she came along, I don't need her or anybody else telling me how to do things!"

"You're just running away."

Hoisting the bag over his shoulder, Red X walked over to the Titan and leaned in close. "I'm _leaving_ cause I'm tired of being treated like I'm the bad guy all the time!"

"Oh please. You just don't want to admit that she got to you; that she saw some good in you and didn't care for the bad-boy thief image anymore. You got scared of the idea that you'd have to give up that image and grow up!"

"One more word kid…and I'll add murder to my rap sheet," Red X sneered before heading for the door.

Speedy intentionally waited until Red X was just about to leave before quipping, "You're just scared you'd have to grow up – something everyone else has already done."

"That's it!" shouted the thief as a shuriken came hurtling across the room. But moments before it would've hit, it suddenly stopped in mid-air, accompanied by the sound of shorting electronics. A few bolts of electricity sparked right in front of Speedy before a large metallic figure phased into sight before him – it was a Legion Fury. It stood motionless, a bladed hand held high, before collapsing to the ground with the shuriken visibly lodged in the back of its head.

"What the hell is that?" Speedy asked, though both had the same shocked and confused look in their eyes.

"Nothing good," Red X answered, immediately dropping his bad and activating his wrist blades. Stealing could wait – if there was one, there were going to be more. Right on cue, all the lights in the room died, replaced by sparse red lights moments later.

"A power outage?" Speedy remarked as he raced over to the nearby computer terminal, which was now powered by the emergency generators. After a few quick keystrokes, a schematic of the Tower showed up. Outlined in blue, the lines quickly all flashed red before remaining a solid, unsettling red. "The power's been cut through the building."

"What does that mean for the security system?"

"Means all we've lost all the autoguns, security fields, and external sensors. I'm going to try and reach the others." As he pressed a key, a large symbol of a satellite with a big line through it appeared on the screen. "And they've taken out communications."

"Do the sprinklers still work?"

"Um…yeah."

"Then hit them."

Slowly, though confused, Speedy manually activated the Tower's fire alarm system. Within seconds, valves began to open and water rained from the ceiling. Instantly, a pair of water-silhouettes appeared in the room, only a few feet from Speedy. Though the two machines quickly realized that their stealth systems were compromised, they didn't react fast enough as a storm of red shurikens bombarded them.

"I guess that's two I owe you…" Speedy muttered as he watched the two shuriken-laden Furies collapse.

"And you say I never do anything for somebody else." With the enemies dispatched, Red X promptly picked up his loot. "Right, time to get out of here before more show up."

"You're just going to leave like that?"

"You're forgetting I just got dumped – this isn't my problem anymore."

Before Speedy could even answer, a distant explosion shook the tower. Turning his attention back to the computer monitor, he saw scores of Spartans pouring into the lower floors of the Tower through a massive breach in the door. At the very rear of the pack, was the hulking figure of the Legionnaire Ares, followed shortly by Apollo, whom Speedy recognized instantly.

"This…is bad," Speedy muttered grimly. Despair turned to panic when he realized that the medical bay, where his still-wounded teammates were, was located several floors below. Without even a moment's hesitation, Speedy raced for the door, only to be interrupted by Red X a second later.

"Planning on fighting them with just your bare hands?" Red X remarked before reaching into his loot bag and pulling out a pilfered bow. "You do realize its suicide?"

"When the going get rough, you gotta do what you gotta do – even if it's a bad idea," Speedy answered as Red X tossed him the bow.

He didn't even wait for an answer before heading out, grabbing a conveniently nearby hanging quiver on his way out. Red X was left muttering under his breath about the idiocy of heroics, though he couldn't help but watch the computer monitors still displaying the hallways, now swarming with Spartans.

Taking the most direct route available, Speedy headed to the lower floors in a bid to cut-off the advancing Spartans. While seemingly a complex maze of corridors and stairwells, the Tower floorplan was designed in order to aid defenders from potential invasions. There were several chokepoints through the building – points where one could not advance up the floors without passing through a single point. Even a massive infiltrating force would have to file through empty corridors, reducing their effective numbers drastically. Speedy knew he could use such points to his advantage, continually falling back up the tower. After the invasion of the Cyborg clones by Brother Blood, Bumblebee had made it clear that they were not to repeat their mistakes. There were plenty of ways for Speedy to move quickly between the floors that would be inaccessible by the larger, bulky machines. If he could keep the enemies distracted long enough, maybe reinforcements would come to save them.

If not, he would make sure the Legion paid heavily for every step they took.

The lowest chokepoint Speedy could safely move to was located on the fourth floor. The Spartans were doing a systematic sweep of the building, giving him time to get into position. Speedy took a few deep, calming breaths to settle his nerves as he waited for the enemy. He would be lying if he said he wasn't a little nervous; the situation was all too reminiscent of the invasion by Brother Blood years ago. He just kept reminding himself that things would be different…and he wouldn't put his back against any walls.

When the hollow steps of metal feet began to echo through the halls, Speedy readied his bow and let the noise grow louder. When it seemed like the drums couldn't beat any louder, Speedy swung out from around the corner and let a fistful of arrows fly pointblank into the advancing column. The first line fell before they could even react, though the second line were more fortunate. After a few arrows bounced harmlessly of their shields, Speedy quickly changed strategy and aimed for their legs, taking them out at the knees and finishing them off with additional arrows after they fell.

"That was too easy," Speedy bragged as he continued to fire arrows down the corridor at the continuing waves of Spartans. They advanced slowly now, keeping their shields up and their bodies low. However, even if a minute amount of their body showed from behind their wide shields, Speedy was able to put an arrow through it. Several more were felled at arrows struck them in the arms, legs, and heads.

"I can stay here all night!" Speedy shouted, taking cover as the Spartans returned fire. Sniping one Spartan right down the barrel of his cannon, the resultant explosion knocked a hole in the enemy formation, giving Speedy an opening to throw in another dozen arrows onto unprotected machines.

"Charge you fools! Charge!" A voice shouted from the back of the columns. On command, the Spartans charged their rockets and began boosting down the corridor. Their speed meant lowering their guard a bit and Speedy capitalized on it. He fired one of his specialty arrows into the midst of an advancing group, which burst into a torrent of electrical bolts that fried everything around it.

With the hall cluttered with scores of fallen Spartans, the others held back at the previous junction, using the cover and distance for protection as they fired volleys towards the Titan. Speedy couldn't believe his fortune – his plan was actually working better than he had hoped. If he could just hold his position and keep the Spartans at bay, help just might arrive in time.

Of course, no sooner had he thought that did a red beam of energy suddenly slice through the floor behind him. Cutting through the steel plating like it was nothing, Speedy only watched in awe-struck wonder as Ares' massive frame emerged through the hole.

"And here I was worried things would be easy," Ares said as he knocked Speedy across the corridor a swing of his clawed arm. A distinct hum was heard as the general aimed he aimed his mighty cannon at the hero. It was only because of the few seconds needed to charge did Speedy have the time to scramble out of the way of the energy blast, which cut a hole through the wall just as easily as it had the floor.

"Well I just aim to please," Speedy retorted, firing a trio of arrows. Not one of them did any damage, or even distracted him as he began charging his disintegrator cannon again. Clearly outgunned by the God of War, Speedy decided it was time to fall back. Just narrowly avoiding another blast of the disintegrator cannon, Speedy didn't even look back as he ran as fast as his injured body could carry him. Displeased with his prey's retreat, Ares activated one of his shoulder units, a rectangular pod that opened up revealing a salvo of missiles within. Just as he was about to let loose a volley, a mechanical hand reached up and cover the pod's opening.

"No high explosives Ares," Apollo reminded him, keeping his hand over the missiles. "You'll wake the whole damn city if you do."

Remembering Athena's threats, Ares begrudgingly deactivated the weapon and said, "Then I suggest you find him and kill him soon for my patience is wearing thin."

Pulling away from his cohort, Ares motioned for the Spartans to continue with the advance. Apollo, not wanting Ares to screw the mission up, went on ahead to deal with Speedy personally.

With the Legion on his heel and his old injury starting to flare up, Speedy knew that any plan involving a lot of running was doomed to fail. However, trying to make a stand was even more fool-hearty with the walking tank that he had nearly reduced him to a molecular cloud. He was passing through a storage room when the Legion caught up with him, though it was a swarm of Spartans.

"Where you off to in such a hurry?" Apollo shouted from the far side of the room.

Had it been anyone else, Speedy would've just ignored it and kept on moving. However, this was a matter of wounded pride and Speedy would be damned if he ran away from Apollo. Speedy had stopped just shy of the exit, turning about to face down his challenger against all better judgment.

"Don't suppose I could offer you a rematch, hm?" Speedy challenged.

"I thought you'd never ask," Apollo mused as he equipped his bow. "But I bested you when you were in peak condition. What hope do you have in your wounded state?"

"Well I might not be able to beat you in one arrow like you did to me," Speedy began as he started walking a slow circle around Apollo. "But I bet I can beat you with three."

"Is that so?" the machine remarked with a chuckle. "You've got some brass bearings kid. Alright then…I'll even let you have the first shot again."

"Don't mind if I do."

Speedy smirked slyly as he readied an arrow. As he let the arrow fly, the situation began to play out just like it had the first time he faced Apollo. The robot waited until the last possible moment before leaning just out of the way and letting the air graze by.

"Didn't you learn anything?" Apollo scoffed loudly. "You just wasted an arrow!"

"Oh did I?"

Bemused, Apollo looked over his shoulder to see the arrow lodged into the side of a water main. Cracks began to spread across the length of the metal pipe before finally bursting, unleashing a torrent of high-pressure water right into Apollo. Knocked off his feet by the blast, Apollo struggled against the water pressure to get back to his feet, quickly searching to try and pinpoint Speedy's whereabouts.

A loud whistle brought Apollo's attention to the top of some nearby crates, where Speedy already had an arrow trained on him. This time, when the arrow flew there was too much water for Apollo to move quickly and the arrow struck him square in his shut, oversized eye.

"And third time's the charm," Speedy muttered, readying his third arrow.

Alas, just as he was about to fire at the half-blinded general, a spray of energy blasts was fired at him. One of the bolts struck the upper arm of his bow, shattering the weapon, and knocking the Titan off the crates.

"Now if I had used my missiles this nonsense would already be over," bellowed the embittered Ares. "I don't know why I keep listening to you," he added as his shoulder-mounted turrets trained on Speedy's location and fired a rapid spray of laser bolts. In his scramble for cover, one of the bolts struck Speedy in the leg, causing him to tumble to the ground behind some crates. Tracking his heat signature, Ares targeted and began charging his mighty disintegrator cannon.

As the wounded Speedy readied himself for the great beyond, instead of hearing the sound of molecules being torn asunder, there was just a weird 'thuck' followed by an explosion and a long string of profanities from Ares. Speedy managed to pull himself up to take a peek over the crates, seeing an enraged Ares gazing at a red X shuriken embedded in the barrel of his now smoldering disintegrator cannon. A trio of explosive shurikens then detonated upon the general's chest, causing him stagger, as Red X dropped into the center of the room.

"Somebody's been having a little party and they didn't invite me. Now that's just heartless," he mused as launched a massive X towards Ares, knocking him over completely. Just then, four Spartans came charging through the door with their cannons firing. Red X simply leapt towards them, disappearing briefly before reappearing in the midst of them, driving his wrist blades down a Spartan's throat.

As he leapt off, his wrist blades began to spin, letting him easily cleave through the next Spartan's arm as he landed. Quickly spinning about, he slashed his whirling blades through another Spartan's knees, dropping it to the ground just low enough for a second slice to take its head clean off. In a flurry of spins and somersaults, he quickly reduced the remaining two into a pile of scrap.

"That's three you owe me now," Red X called out, retracting his wrist blades and hurrying over to Speedy.

"What are you doing here?"

"Doing what I do best," he simply answered, lifting the Titan off his feet and carrying him out of the room. While Apollo might be out of the fight for a while, they both knew that Ares was going to be madder than hell now. Red X, being no stranger to the idea of running away to fight another day, flew down the hall at blinding speeds. It wasn't until several floors later that Red X finally came to a halt and set the Titan down.

"Did anyone mention you could stand to lose a few pounds?" Red X said as he panted lightly as he leaned up against the wall to rest.

"You certainly know how to make a dramatic entrance. What took you so long?"

"Well one of us had to get the security system running," the thief explained as he walked over to a nearby computer terminal and tapped a few buttons. A loud hum echoed through the halls as a red energy field suddenly appeared, sealing off the hallway just moments before a large steel door added to the security. "Blast doors and security fields should keep them busy for a little while."

"You do know the backup generators can't handle that kind of power load?"

"Yeah…figure they'll last about ten or twelve minutes before kicking out. At least gives us a chance to rest and move your friends to a safer location."

"We should move them to the living room, the balcony area can be walled off in the event of an emergency."

"By the way kid…you were right before…about the whole being scared part."

"I was?"

"Sorta," Red X began with a reluctant shrug. "It was a long time ago...a man saw a no-good, little street rat and saw some good in him. He told the kid he could still do some good; still make something of himself; do something great. Needless to say, it didn't work out very well."

"What happened?"

"It's a long story – I'll tell you later."

Not wanting to waste what little time they had left, Red X helped Speedy back to his feet, and supported him as the pair headed down the hall.

"So why are you doing all this anyways? I thought you didn't care anymore."

"I don't…at least not about you guys."

"You do love her, don't you?"

"I'm going to win her back and if that means I have to save all your dumb asses from being annihilated by an army of killer robots then that's what I'll do!"


	18. Chapter 17: For Love or Honour

**Chapter Seventeen: For Love or Honour**

**"Where have they taken her? Tell me!" **Robin demanded as the situation grew more dire with the news of Starfire's capture. Not only was he faced with the problem of dealing with Batman but now he had to find a means to rescue Starfire as well. He should've known that she would chase after him but he hadn't counted on the Legion getting to her first. And now…using her as a bargaining chip against him, that was just adding more insult to injury.

"Not until you've given me the keycard," Batman sternly replied, remaining adamant in his initial request despite how little time he had to argue with Robin.

Robin, of course, wasn't exactly trusting Batman to be concerned with Starfire's well-being. The mission was to protect the keycard, after all. Besides, he considered this to be his problem – it was his fault that Starfire followed him to Gotham. Anything that happened to was his conscience.

"Just tell me where she is!" Robin shouted even more angrily now. Time was running out and he didn't want to have to fight his way past Batman just to get to Starfire…but he would if it came down to that.

"You're too close to this Robin. You need to sit this out."

"What? You think I'm going to give into their demands? This is my girlfriend for crying out loud, you can't just expect me to sit idly by and let you do all the work! This is _my_ fight, not yours!"

"This became _my_ fight when it came into _my_ city," Batman said, his anger starting to become noticeable in his tone. "And we're doing this _my_ way."

"Well I'm not your underling anymore Bruce. I can do things how I want and how I need and I need to do this. _I_ have to save her."

There was a tense silence in the air with neither making a move. Robin expected Batman to try and take the card by force at any moment while he expected Robin to make a dash for the nearby window. But neither made a move because there was more to this than just who saved who. It was a matter of honour.

"This is still about Watkins, isn't it?" Batman finally spoke up.

Watkins…that was a name that stirred up a number of unpleasant memories for Robin. It was years ago back when Robin was still young and under the tutelage of the Dark Knight. Two-Face had succeeded in capturing both Watkins, a city judge, and Batman. Both had been placed in a hangman gallows trap with only Robin able to rescue them. Though he had managed to talk Two-Face into using a coin toss to decide Watkins' fate, which came out in Watkin's favour, Two-Face simply spared Watkins from a hanging death and drowned him instead. Despite everything Batman had taught him, all the years of training and working alongside him, it wasn't enough to save Watkins or even stop Two-Face. Robin had messed up before but never had it cost a man his life. It was a night that had always hung heavily on his mind…and it was the last night that Batman would allow Robin to fight crime with him.

"I couldn't save him," Robin muttered bitterly under his breath, his fists clenched tight. "I wasn't strong enough…but I'm not going to let that happen again. Not to Starfire…not to anybody."

"Who are you trying to prove to? To me?"

"Of course not! I don't need you anymore Bruce."

"But you wouldn't be where you are without me."

"Except I have my team and my own city and I did it all without you!"

"And do you think you would've gotten anywhere without the name 'Robin'? The name you wore by my side. The mantle I gave you; the reputation I created. Would anybody have followed you if you had gone by any other name?"

Robin let out an irritated sigh - a groan of reluctant acceptance; he had a point there. The first person to join him, Beast Boy, only did so because he knew Robin by reputation. Sure, the Titans may still have formed had he gone under a different name but it likely would've taken longer and had been a lot slower getting recognition. In all his efforts to distance himself from Batman, Robin never gave a second thought to discarding the name; he had always considered it to be his mantle since he chose the name…but the reputation that came with it was Batman's.

"Without me, you would be nothing," Batman added. It was a fact that stung at Robin's pride. "But you're right, you don't need me anymore."

"Wait…what?" The last statement had caught Robin off-guard.

"I was wrong to let you go," Bruce said.

"Then why?"

"I was afraid, Dick." It was an admission that surprised Robin even further. Fear was something he never saw Bruce even admit to. "You could have just as easily have been killed that night and there wouldn't have been anything I could do to stop it. I brought you into this life and your safety was my responsibility and I realized then that I might not have been able to handle it if something were to happen to you. I was afraid what might happen if I wasn't strong enough to protect you."

"Bruce…I…" Robin said as he struggled with his words at first, "you never forced me into this life. I choose it freely. You know I had always accepted the risks…and I'd die for you if necessary."

"But it should never come to that."

There was a long, painful silence between them with Robin shifting his gaze between the keycard in his hand and the look on Batman's face. Even despite everything that had come between them, he was still like a father to Dick. And no amount of animosity could change that. "I still have to do this Bruce…I have to do something. I love her…"

"Then you don't have to do it alone. You're part of a team now Dick and you owe it to her," Batman reasoned. He knew full well there wasn't any more point trying to change Robin's mind. He had made his decision on going. Now it was simply a matter of how. "Now, give me the keycard."

Robin realized it was time to stop fighting him; time to stop trying to prove to himself, to Bruce, to the world that he could do it on his own. Conflicts with Slade and Blood and the Legion only emphasized the importance of team unity. He had a team that relied on him as their leader and he had to put the needs of the team above his own. The Legion was outsmarting them at every turn; it was time to admit that he was in over his head.

* * *

"You should just let me kill her; it's too dangerous to keep her alive."

"We kill her we spark an all-out confrontation. We still need to gather the rest of our forces before we can start making such open hostilities," Athena reminded the Spartan captain sternly. Even though she was just a holographic image on a wooden desk, the expression on the Legion's leader still unnerved Alpha-One. Her patience was thin and he risked a lot by trying to press the issue further. "Now I expect you to deliver the keycard and Mr. Wayne by tomorrow morning or I'm turning your head into a decorative bowl, you understand?"

"Of course m'lady. I will report back to you in an hour when I have finished here."

The communication ended and the holographic image disappeared but that didn't ease the Alpha-One's mind. He hadn't counted on turning his mission into a hostage negotiation and he wasn't very certain that the plan would work the way he hoped it would. Sealing off the top floor of Wayne Tower wasn't too difficult, especially so late at night, and he still had a few Spartan soldiers to keep the area clear of unwanted visitors. The golden warrior stood before the large glass panes that overlooked the Gotham City landscape, his hostage bound tightly by electrical shackles on the nearby couch.

"You will not succeed in your plans Spartan!" Starfire growled, still struggling against her restraints despite her injuries.

"Your persistence is beginning to irritate me child, I suggest you stop before I 'forget' my orders to keep you alive."

"When Robin finds you-"

"And I hope he does," the Spartan interrupted. "I have no doubt that your Robin is on his way here right now."

"When he arrives, the Batman will be with him and you cannot beat them both."

"I don't need to. You see little child, that keycard is worth more than any one person's life, especially since we already have two of the three in our possession. And we need that keycard and Batman; so he'll have to choose giving up you or giving up his mission and his mentor. Which do you think he considers more important?"

"He will find a way to do both."

"That is what I'm counting on…and when he overextends himself, I will finish him." Whether it was empty boasting or not, the Spartan seemed to know exactly what Robin would try. For a brief moment, Starfire was actually a little worried for him.

"The human you seek is here," another Spartan's voice called out from the now-open office door. Escorted in by the robotic warrior was Batman, seemingly alone. He was kept at spear point by the Spartan and led slowly into the center of the office. "He has the keycard with him; I have already confirmed its authenticity."

"Here alone?" Alpha-One remarked with a hint of surprise. "Now I was expecting the kid to be here as well…or is he just skulking off in the shadows waiting for me to be too distracted with you?"

"You want the keycard or not?" Batman reminded it.

"Put the card on the ground and step back ten feet," the captain instructed, to which Batman complied. As Alpha-One was about to step towards the card, there came a loud crash as a Spartan came bursting through the ceiling. It smashed into the ground not too far from the captain, who immediately saw the Boy Wonder atop of the ruined soldier still gripping the spear that had been rammed through the Spartan's chest.

"Now that's an entrance," remarked the Spartan captain, who didn't seem bothered by the fact that one of his troops had just been run through. "A shame it won't do you any good," it added as it armed its second sonic cannon and aimed it at the captive Starfire. "I think you know the drill by now, move and her blood will decorate the wall."

Standing roughly eight feet from the keycard and a full twelve feet from Alpha-One, with it standing between him and Starfire, Robin was immediately faced with the dilemma of having too many problems to solve and not enough time to solve them. With a spear pointed right at him, Batman couldn't do much either without having to fight his way through the Spartan first.

"Unit Gamma-Six, get the card," the Spartan captain ordered, summoning another Spartan from out in the hall. It headed straight for the keycard but Robin couldn't make a move until the time was just right. With all the focus on Robin and the keycard, none of the Legionnaires had noticed the batarang hurtling towards the window. It punched through the glass effortlessly before lodging into the captain's sonic cannon and detonating it a crippling blast. Now it was the time to strike; with the fetching Spartan less than a foot from him, Robin was easily able to reach over and slap an explosive charge to the back of its leg. He then pulled out his grappling hook, fired it into the far side of the room, and used it to quickly close the gap between him and the keycard while Unit Gamma-Six's leg was blown off.

For Batman, dealing with the Spartan that was holding him at spear point was as easy as dodging a few swings and stabs and then jamming a batarang straight into its primary optic lens. While it staggered in its half-blinded state, he raced over to the fallen Spartan, pulled out its spear, and then skewered the other Spartan's head.

Enraged at how quickly his plan had fallen, the Spartan captain took hold of his spear and charged at the source of his ire – Robin. "I am going to tear the flesh from your bones!"

Now, while Starfire was more than thrilled to see her comrades prevailing in the battle, she couldn't help but wonder where the batarang that saved her had come from. She would've kept wondering had she not been distracted when her restraints were suddenly shut off and removed. Standing next to her was a young woman, about Robin's age, wearing a costume very much like Batman's save for the opening in the back of the cowl that allowed long locks of auburn hair to hang out.

"Who're you?" was the first thing Starfire could think to say.

"Name's Batgirl," the young lady introduced her as she helped Starfire to her feet, "the other _other_ defender of Gotham."

While Starfire was thankful for the rescue, her attention was distracted to the sight of Robin, armed with his bo-staff, going one-on-one with the enraged Alpha-One. He wasn't fairing very well, as evident when even a blocked strike was powerful enough to send the Boy Wonder hurtling across the room.

"Robin!" Though her spirit was willing, her body wasn't able to match the effort as Starfire tried to move to help, only to have her body stricken still by her wounds.

"Easy there girl, you're not in any condition to be fighting," Batgirl insisted as she kept a firm grip on the Tamaranean.

Besides, with Batman and Robin both engaging the lone Spartan captain, she figured that there was little need for further intervention. Batman, with spear in hand, began his attack on the Spartan just as it was looming over a knock-over Robin. The thrust was quickly, however, and the Spartan tried to continue its assault on Robin but the delay caused by Batman gave him time to roll away and return to his feet. Attacking in tandem, the Spartan's defense was stretched to its peak as strikes came from both sides. Its own spear spun and parried so fast that it was soon a silver blur to the heroes. Sparks began to fly from the strikes and though it looked as though the Spartan was strained to maintain its defense, it was soon able to begin retaliatory strikes against the pair, interchanging blocks with parries and counter-strikes. After blocking a high blow from Batman, it spun about with a low sweep that snuck in between Robin's legs and delivered a staggering blow to the upper thigh, taking the Boy Wonder right off his feet and onto his head. It then gracefully countered another blow from Batman with a spinning parry and followed with a strong kick that utilized its jet boosters to add extra power to propel Batman across the office.

"Okay you wait right here," Batgirl instructed as she set Starfire back down on the couch. "Looks like the boys need my help…again."

With that, she launched a grappling hook that latched onto the Spartan's spear; not that it did her any good, though, since she didn't have near the strength needed to pry the weapon from a machine's tight grip. Instead, the Spartan simply grabbed hold of the cable and gave it a mighty tug that sent the heroine hurtling towards him. Quick to recover, though, Batgirl was able to tuck in mid-air and land feet-first atop of Alpha-One's shoulders. Her aim was to keep the Spartan distracted, which gave Robin plenty of time to get back to his and deliver a monstrous swing into the back of the machination's legs. A wide swing of the Spartan's spear kept the pair away as it got back to its feet.

"Care to run decoy?" Batgirl asked as she and Robin readied for their next attack.

"No problem - just don't miss."

Robin rushed in with a leaping strike, forcing the Spartan back on the defense. His bo-staff crashed against the warrior's spear time and time again, keeping his attacks fast but inaccurate; he had no interest in actually hitting the Spartan. He just needed to push hard enough on the attack to prompt his opponent to break free with a powerful counter-attack. Robin allowed the Spartan make the easy high block, leaving his own defense wide open, which the Spartan promptly took advantage of with a rising knee strike followed by a knock-down blow with the shaft of its spear.

So focused was its attention on Robin that it failed to notice Batgirl pitching a small bomb towards it. The concussive blast and bright flash stunned the Spartan, leaving a perfect opening for Robin to rise up with a precision strike with his bo-staff straight into the ocular lens. Alpha-One let out an enraged roar as it staggered back, now completely blinded.

Motioning for Robin and Batgirl to step aside, Batman stepped up with spear in hand. With strength, speed, and precision, he let the spear fly and it soon found its mark dead-center of the Spartan's chest, skewering the machine and sending it crashing to the floor.

"Man, that was awesome!" Batgirl exclaimed. "Just like old times, right guys?"

Her remarks, though, were only met with a cold glare from the others.

"Uh, I'll…I'll just be quiet."

Though the Spartan was still functioning, Robin was getting ready to make sure that this particular machine never bothered him or anyone he knew ever again. He walked over to one of the other fallen Spartans and picked its shield up, carrying it over to the fallen captain.

"You shouldn't have gotten her involved in this," Robin said sternly as he raised the shield's edge over the Spartan's neck.

"Another will take my place; Olympus will be ours. You cannot stop us all."

"Right now…I just need to stop you."

And with a thunderous crash, the shield came down with all his strength. It was over…for now. Robin simply let out a tired sigh as the weight of the shield slipped it from his fingers. It was only when he saw Starfire out of the corner of his eye, floating wearily towards him, that new life churned within him, lifting him to his feet and quickly to her.

"Robin!" she exclaimed weakly as she threw her arms around him, clinging tightly to him as though she'd be pulled away if her gripped weakened in the slightest.

"It's okay Star," he whispered into her ear. "Let's get you home."

* * *

Since Jump City was too far and Starfire needed to have her injuries tended to as soon as possible, the only logical choice was to bring her to Wayne Manor. Though he brought her in through the Batcave, he immediately took her up to the main floors where she'd be more comfortable. Even though she was quite capable of floating her way up, Robin insisted on being chivalrous and carrying her up. Besides, she found it to be too kind of a gesture for her to turn down. And had it not been for the discomfort she was already in, she would've found the manner in which he cradled her so delicately in his arms to be very romantic.

"Listen, Star I…I'm sorry I left the tower without telling you…"

"I forgive you…but I am still hurt that you did not trust me enough to tell me what was happening or even allow me to accompany you."

"It's not that I didn't trust you," Robin insisted, "cause I do. I trust you more than anything."

"Then why are you so ashamed to tell what has made you so adverse to this place? Do you believe I will think less of you?"

"It wasn't what you thought of me that worried me, it was what I thought of myself," he admitted as they reached the door to his old bedroom. Not surprising, the room itself had been largely untouched since his departure, though there wasn't much to move around since he took most of his things with him. All that remained was the furniture and a few martial arts things that were too heavy to move. He took her over to the bed and carefully set her down before sitting on the bedside next to her.

"Then, please, talk to me Robin," she asked weakly, placing her hand overtop of his head.

"An innocent man died because of me. I wasn't strong enough to save him…I wasn't strong enough to save anyone. I failed Star; I gave it everything I had and I still failed…and somebody else paid for it. I thought I could stop it from happening here; I thought I could put an end to it without having to face my past," he then looked to her with eyes pleading for forgiveness and a hand gentle caressing her cheek, "but then you almost paid for my mistakes. And I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am."

She smiled reassuringly as she took his hand in both of hers, holding it close to her chest, "I know a troubled past is a heavy burden to carry but I am here for you and I am willing to help shoulder that burden with you. You do not need to continue punishing yourself for your mistakes; you do not need to fight alone anymore."

"Star I…"

He never got the sentence off as the bedroom door suddenly opened up and a half-awake, aged, and robed man stepped inside. "What is all that ruckus?" he said as he entered before falling temporarily silent upon recognizing the pair on the bed. "Master Grayson!" he exclaimed with a bright smile, "I had not been informed of your arrival."

"Hi Alfred. We actually just got here."

"Well I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise that you have adopted Master Wayne's style of dropping in a moment's notice unannounced. Nonetheless, it is good to see you again Master Grayson. And I am to assume that this enchanting young lady is Starfire?"

"I am…and you are?"

"Alfred Pennyworth, at your service m'dear. Shall I fetch the first aid kit Master Grayson?"

"Please."

No stranger to treating injuries, the Wayne Estate butler was prompt in his return with a full first aid kit along with a small basin of water and several cloths. "Allow me, sir," he said politely as he took Robin's place at the bedside and began cleaning some of the dried blood off of Starfire's forehead. "You will not be staying for very long, will you?"

"Probably not."

"A pity. Well…I hope when all this dreadful business with those mechanical monstrosities is over you will be able to come and stay for a while."

"How'd you know about that?"

"I read the newspaper Master Grayson," Alfred explained plainly as he rinsed a blood-stained cloth. "And Master Wayne has been making sure that the Jump City Times are delivered on a daily basis. We have been following your little adventures very closely sir."

"He has?"

"Should that surprise you? He gets an advanced copy every morning and more often than not he will it read it before he even picks up the local paper. He may not say it out loud but I can tell he is quite proud of what you have accomplished; we both are really."

"Then why hasn't he ever said that before?"

"You know how Master Wayne can be. Your rather hasty departure was very hard on him. The simple truth is he misses you Master Grayson…and Robin."

For a change, Robin didn't have any response. He just fell silent and turned his attention to the partially draped window, where he could just see the moon beginning to set in the sky. Perhaps, he thought, he did not think much about those days back at Batman's side because he knew if he lingered on them too much, he would grow to yearn for those days as well.

"The hardest part for Master Wayne, though, is that admitting he was wrong back then, it'd be even more wrong of him to ask you to come back. I mean…look at you; all grown up and leading a family of your own. I guess we both knew this day would've come eventually. I just wish you wouldn't have waited four years to come and finally visit."

"Heh…yeah, I'll try and work on that for next time," Robin said, a little embarrassed.

"I do hope that before you leave us that you would try to make peace with Master Wayne. Far be it for me to judge but I think you both have let your pride stand in the way for too long." With those last words, Alfred finished fitting the bandages around Starfire's injuries and began tidying up the first aid kit. But just before he left, the butler turned to the young heroes once again, "Oh, and I know it is not my place to ask but…if you were so kind enough as to stay the night, I can assure you a very hearty breakfast will be awaiting you in the morning."

"Well…it has been a long day," Starfire said once Alfred had shut the door behind him.

"And you should get some rest before we head home."

"Indeed. I would benefit from apprehending the zees," Starfire answered with a tired yawn. Not waiting for an invitation, she pulled the sheets over and made herself right at home in Robin's old bed.

However, Robin remained where he stood, watching her as she fell asleep, before heading over to the closet. A lot of his old clothes were still hanging in it, reminders of an old life he barely even knew anymore. He spent pretty much every waking moment as Robin it was easy to forget about the boy Richard that lived behind the mask. Perhaps, he thought, it was time to let the past be exactly that.

It would be a few hours before he finally ventured into the depths of the Batcave in search of his mentor. Batman was, as he had expected, sitting before the massive computer, working away as he always did at this hour of the night. He was so focused on his work, though, that he didn't even notice the young lad approaching until there was a thud from the dropping of a small pile of green, red, and yellow garments.

"We need to talk Bruce," he spoke, not standing before him as the costumed Robin, but as slacks-and-tee Richard Grayson. Bruce only looked between Richard and the folded uniform on the desk, saying nothing as his eyes focused on Richard's. "Things are never going to be exactly like they were before…we both know that. But its time we both let go of our old prejudice and start going forward with both our lives. That's why…that's why I'm returning this to where it rightfully belongs – with you," he said those last words as he slid the uniform across to Bruce.

"An empty uniform doesn't do me any good Dick."

"Well…maybe you'll find somebody new to fill these shoes. I'm sure there's another orphaned kid out there willing to fight injustice."

For the first time that night, Bruce smiled ever so slightly before accepting the uniform and setting it aside. He then reached over to the computer and pulled the keycard out from a drive slot and handed it over to Dick.

"I've reprogrammed the key and set it your biometric patterns. Keep it in a safe place."

"Thanks," Dick replied as he took the keycard and pocketed it. "What exactly is Olympus?"

"A perfectly scientific endeavor that's been turned into something else by an over-zealous military. I'll send you the full file on it tomorrow."

"Thanks."

"And one last thing…" Bruce started as he rose from his seat and outstretched an open hand to Dick. He didn't hesitate for a second to accept the peace offering, gripping his old mentor's hand with a firm handshake. "You've come a long way after all these years. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, that really means a lot."

It felt like a huge weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders and for the first time in many years, Richard was able to walk out of the Batcave with his head held high. It was liberating really and it made him feel a bit foolish for not having settled this dispute long ago. But it was finally over and he could finally get some rest.

Though Starfire was still asleep when the bedroom door crept open, he accidentally aroused her from her slumber when he sat down on the bed's side. She groggily rolled over and looked up to him, surprised at first to see him out of costume. "Is everything all right Robin?" she asked softly.

"Yeah…they finally are. But you can stop calling me Robin. I've given that name up."

"Oh? Then what shall you do when we return home to the others?"

Dick looked to her with a subtle smirk before answering, "I've already got an idea."


	19. Chapter 18: All I Have to Give

**Chapter Eighteen: All I Have to Give**

**"I doubt the field generators will be able to hold for very long against them."**

**"**The heavy doors will probably do more to slow them down," Red X replied as he and Speedy moved quickly through the halls. "Don't know why but they seem to be purposefully avoiding the use of high explosives."

"I'm betting they don't want to attract everyone's attention. If Blackfire and the others came back they would be completely surrounded."

"Don't suppose you have anything here we can blow up?"

"Nothing that would make a big enough bang," Speedy said regretfully. "If the generators were fully operational we could overload those things but…"

"But what?"

"They're back the other way in the basement."

"Think you could've told me that before I sealed half the blast doors in this place?"

"Hey, I thought you were leaving us here to die so excuse me for not telling you these things!"

"You want me to change my mind?"

"When you dropped those blast doors you dropped all the ones surrounding the windows – you've pretty much sealed this whole building off."

"Great, so this place will either be our casket or theirs…"

"Not much hoping for a third option now, is there?"

Red X didn't have an answer for Speedy's rhetoric. Instead, the pair came to a halt outside of the Tower's infirmary where the rest of the Titan's East were still recuperating. They had been dropping and sealing the security doors as they made their ascent. By this point, the only doors not sealed were the ones they needed to get through, making the Legion's advance incredibly slow without the use of high explosives. Though the idea of holding up at the very top of the tower, with little means of escape, didn't sit very well with Red X, he couldn't think of many other options available. There were just too many of them for a direct assault, even for him.

"We need to get a message out to the others."

"Couldn't you just call them using your own radio?"

"I might have thrown my communicator away…"

"Guess that means we won't be sending somebody to find them either," Speedy sighed as he opened the door to the infirmary. The rest of the Argonauts could be anywhere in the city and no communicator meant no tracking devices. Even if they did send somebody, somehow, there wouldn't be anyone left to save by the time reinforcements arrived. "Do you even have a plan?"

"No more than you did."

"Guess we're kinda screwed, huh?"

Upon their entry into the infirmary, the pair was greeted by an already-awake Bumblebee, who didn't look all too happy to see them, though it was hard to tell since she was wrapped up in about two dozen separate pieces of gauze dressing. "What the hell is going on out there?" she immediately demanded. "One minute I'm trying to rest, next thing I know the warning bells are going off and none of the communications are working!"

"You want the bad news first or the worse news?" Speedy replied.

"Just spit it out Speedy."

"We've got a small army of giant killer robots storming up the tower."

"Again?"

"These guys are a lot tougher than the last ones."

"And the worse news?"

"Wonder boy here used what little power we have left to drop most of the blast door and basically locked us in here."

"Nice work X…"

"Those doors are the only things keeping that army from killing you all," Red X insisted. "Weird how nobody's bothered to thank me for risking my ass to save you people."

"Please tell me you've got a plan at least," Bumblebee sighed.

"Not much beyond getting you and the others to the top and hoping for a miracle," Speedy explained, pushing past Bee to see to his teammates. The others were already awake but Minos was the only other one well enough to be walking on his own. Speedy quickly helped Aqualad to his feet while Minos tended to his brother. Just as they were preparing to move out, there came an awful sound – the very distinct sound of a heavy metal door being torn from its frame…and it was definitely very close.

"I think the shit is about to hit the fan," Red X cursed as he headed to the nearest computer to check the security layout. A schematic layout of the tower showed the deployed doors with the ones marked in red representing the doors that were either not deployed or destroyed. Unfortunately, there were a lot more red doors than there were supposed to be. "Hm, looks like its time for plan B."

"You actually have a plan B?" Bee quipped.

"Yeah - you run and I kick their ass."

"How tactical…"

"Simple plans are always the best," he replied as he tapped a few keys on the computer terminal and opened the nearby blast door. "Besides, if we don't slow them down we're not going to be around long enough for there to be any rescue."

"Then I better tag along."

"You?" Red X asked rhetorically. "You're going to take them on with those gauzed up mitts? You might as well be punching them with cotton balls."

"I can still shove my boot up their ass and if you think I'm going to sit back and leave my team's well-being in your cocky little hands then I'm going to have to give you a demonstration, got it?"

"Fine, whatever," Red X acquiesced, throwing his hands up in defeat with an irritated sigh. "Just don't complain to me when you get killed."

Leaving Speedy to take care of the rest of the team, Red X and Bumblebee headed off to cut-off the Legion's advance. Red X, though, couldn't help but think of how Bumblebee's remarks reminded him of Blackfire; of course, it could just be that he was going through that phase where everything seemed to remind him of her. While a pint-sized Bumblebee bypassed the doors flying through the air vents, Red X quickly teleported his way down to the lower levels and the two met up at an empty junction near the stairwell to the floor below. The stairwell was an exactly choke point for them to push back the Spartans, though it would be a matter of time before they overpowered any blockade attempt.

"They should be busting through that door any moment now," Red X warned as he readied his wrist blades.

"Good…cause I've been itching for a chance to whoop their tin-plated butts."

That was when they heard the heavy footsteps echoing from the opposite side of the door; they were on their way up. A blue flash pierced through the door, melting away at the surrounding metal as it began carving a path around the door. The pair waited anxiously as the blue torch slowly came full circle and the moment the light dispersed they charged. Throwing all their strength and weight into the charge, they slammed into the blast door, taking the Spartans on the other side by surprise as the metal slab suddenly fell inwards, crushing the first few and bowling over more as it slid down the stairs. Bumblebee was the first through the door, charging into the crowd of Spartans and kicking the head off the first one she saw. Red X followed close behind, jumping over the railing and pouncing onto the ascending line of Spartans with his wrist blades spinning at full power.

Caught in such close confines, the Spartans were unable to bring their weapons to bear as Red X was able to cut apart three of them before the ones further down could back up and bring their spears forward. As the Spartans lunged forth, Red X quickly used the dismembered bodies of one of their fallen to take the spear's point while he hopped over its shoulders and up to the next flight of stairs.

The Spartans in the front have a chance to pursue, as Bumblebee came swooping down, using a busted Spartan as a shield as she plowed into the line of soldiers, creating a cascade effect that knocked over almost every Spartan to the bottom of the stairwell.

"I think we've done enough. Time to pull back," Red X called down to Bumbleebee, who heartily agreed when she noticed more Spartans pouring into the stairwell. Dodging a few sonic bolts, the pair hastily retreated down the hall, disappearing from sight in the same fashion they had arrived.

* * *

"I thought I told you to wait for us!" Jinx shouted, taking cover behind a concrete pillar as several sonic blasts shot past her.

"Could we talk about this later?" Kid Flash replied, a bit preoccupied as he was pinned against the wall by Hermes. The warehouse assault was going well in the Argonauts favour despite having lost the element of surprise when Kid Flash decided to make an early appearance. Apparently the notion was waiting for backup was lost on the hero.

"There won't be a later for you," Hermes replied as it threw the hero into a stack of crates. Before he could press Kid Flash further, Jinx's hex caused a section of overhanging catwalk to fall towards him. It served as little more than a distraction as it was easily able to get out of harm's way, reappearing near Jinx and sending her flying with a powerful electrical blast.

"Where's Blackfire anyways?" Kid Flash groaned as he climbed out of the pile of broken timber. Since there was little time for Jinx to answer, she merely pointed to the far side of the warehouse, where the Tamaranean was keeping busy taking on a swarm of Spartans. Blackfire's fury was evident as she brawled her way through them, swinging the severed legs of one Spartan like a giant club. She was keeping the bulk of the defenders busy, so Kid Flash and Jinx had only Hermes to deal with.

"Not really a fan of weapons but I think its time for some heavy hitting," Kid Flash announced as he picked up a metal rod from the broken catwalk. He rushed the Legion general with a flurry of swings, though he was quick to understand the same frustration most of his opponents went through as Hermes was able to dance around the blows. Fortunately, it kept the machine distracted long enough for Jinx to blast it with a hex that kept it still long enough for Kid Flash to deliver a major league swing, knocking it off its feet. Hoping to capitalize on the machine's momentary immobility, he lunged at it with the pointed end of the pole. The hex's effects, though, didn't last long enough and just it was about to be impaled, the general disappeared in its usual fashion, reappearing behind Jinx to deliver a sharp kick to the back.

"I got'cha!" Kid Flash shouted as he intercepted his girlfriend, whisking her a safe distance away before setting her down. "Stay here, I'll take care of this."

"Like hell I'm going to-" Jinx's attempt to protest was cut short when Kid Flash rushed off, leaving her fuming over his impudence. "Gah…he's more annoying that Billy…"

The couple would quickly be reunited as several blows sent the speedy hero sliding across the floor right back to Jinx's feet.

"Where do you get off telling what to do?"  
"No way am I going to let a rusted flag pole outrun me," he replied. The argument would have continued had Hermes not sprinted up and punted the hero across the warehouse, quickly chasing after him to thrash him about some more. Jinx simply sighed in dismay as she watched her boyfriend get throttled some more before being discarded once again by her feet in a sore heap.

"Looks like it's kicking your ass Wally," Jinx commented idly.

"You're…kinda distracting me…" groaned Kid Flash.

"Don't blame me for your screw-ups."

"I'm not screwing up," he insisted.

"Of course, my mistake," Jinx said indignantly just seconds before Kid Flash was dragged away by Hermes for further abuse.

"Ready to admit you're losing?" she asked when he landed back her feet.

"I can beat him…he just…keeps getting ahead of me somehow."

"You do realize he's a teleporter, right?"

"What?"

Answers had to be delayed as Kid Flash was knocked away again, smashed into a wall by his adversary. The scuffle between the two last only for a few moments before Kid Flash found himself staring up at his teammate once more.

"How can you tell it teleports?" he groaned painfully.

"Well the constant absence of footprints whenever he pulls his 'getting ahead of you' move was the first tip-off," Jinx said, pointing to the dust and dirt-covered floors of the warehouse, where everyone's movements had been leaving prints behind.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I figured you knew already. I mean, I used the same tactic against you when I was with the HIVE Five, remember?"

"No…but that might just be the concussion. How does this help me exactly?"

"I'm sorry, I thought you said you could handle this," Jinx quipped just seconds before Kid Flash was pulled once again back into the fight. Folding her arms across her chest, Jinx simply pretended to ignore Kid Flash's plight as he was knocked about the room. Even as he called out her name, she only whistled idly and waited some more.

"Jinx!" he called out once again, held up against the wall by his neck. "Help!"

Finally hearing what she wanted, she sprung into action. A blast of magic into Hermes back temporarily shorted out his systems, causing it to lose grip on Kid Flash and giving Jinx enough time to line up a point-blank shot with her blaster that toppled the general over.

"Now was that so hard?" Jinx remarked as she helped Kid Flash up. "He's not so tough now that his teleporter's completely shorted out. Now are you going to finish him off or not?" she added, motioning over to the partially incapacitated Hermes, who was struggling to get back to its feet.

"With pleasure," Kid Flash said with a grin. Taking a few steps back to get some running space, he charged with all his speed towards the general and delivered a devastating, high-velocity punch straight to the face. The blow landed with such force, which is simply a product of mass and velocity, the later of which was immensely high, that it propelled Hermes across the warehouse, through the concrete wall, into and through the neighboring building, and then about three blocks down the road before finally crashing into the rocky side of a hill…in about a half-dozen pieces.

"Well?" Jinx asked in a none-too-subtle fashion.

Letting out a sigh, Kid Flash replied half-heartedly, "You were right."

"See how much easier things are when you just accept that I'm always right?"

"How'd you even know that would work?"

"I've hung around Gizmo and his stupid toys long enough to know how finicky teleporters are…and I've blown up enough of his prototypes to know that they really don't like me."

"And you always said you were just bad luck," Kid Flash laughed as he threw an arm around her shoulder. "I always seem to be lucky when you're around."

"Thanks…I think."

"Oh don't be like that, you know I love you."

"I know, I know," Jinx replied, a faint smile creeping on her lips. "You're just lucky I'm always there to bail you out of trouble."

"Speaking of trouble, where's our moody trouble-maker anyways?"

Remembering that the fight wasn't just isolated to Hermes and them, the couple turned their attention to Blackfire, who floated idly in the distance near a heap of broken robots. Despite the clear domination, that victorious air was absent – no cheers, no victory jig, and surprisingly no showboating in any amount. She was simply floating over the broken remains; her shoulders hunched low and her head hanging even lower. It was a bad sign when even the rush of victory wasn't enough to lift her spirits. Even her rage had subsided.

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Jinx called out while she approached cautiously.

"Just fine," was the response in a tone that said the exact opposite.

"Come on, what's bothering you?"

"This is…usually the point where Red and I would go out and celebrate. He'd always managed to find some place new and special to go each time."

"Don't tell me you're having second-thoughts already."

"Maybe I was just a little hard on him…"

"Except he was a jerk who didn't care enough about you to be around when you needed him!"

"But he does care; he just has trouble saying it just like me. We're both just scared of the thought of completely and totally surrendering ourselves to the mercy of another person…even when it's somebody who means everything to us. It's hard to open up and let go off all the barriers when you're so used to being on guard all the time," Blackfire explained, her tone not as sullen as before. "The old me would be doing the exact same thing."

"I think it might be a little late; you did get pretty mad at him."

"I really should take that anger management course…"

"I hate to intrude ladies," Kid Flash suddenly interjected, "but we still have a 'rescue' to finish up, remember?"

"Right, the hero thing," Blackfire sighed. "Remind me to take a real vacation when this is all over."

"What about Red?"

"I'll…worry about that when we get home."

* * *

"That was a lot less than I was expecting," Red X commented as he sheathed his wrist blades in the wake of a dozen destroyed Spartans. Several meters of corridor were decorated with severed robotic limbs and smashed heads, not to mention it had fallen into a welcomed state of silence for the first time in a while.

"Maybe they've finally wised up and left," Bumblebee suggested before noticing that the Spartan at her feet wasn't quite destroyed yet. She promptly drove her heel through the back of its head.

"I doubt it. They're persistent bastards. They're just figuring out a way to get around us."

No sooner had Red X made his remark did the floor suddenly and violently quake. It was brief but got their attention quickly, especially since a second, third, and fourth followed shortly afterwards. When the fifth one came, it was accompanied by the sound of shattering steel as a clawed fist pierced through the floor behind the defenders. Both had just enough time to back away as the general Ares burst into the hallway from below.

"You're mine now human!" the robot shouted, knocking Bumblebee aside easily with its clawed hand and charging for Red X.

"Gotta catch me first," was the thief's reply as he leapt over the charging warrior, planting an explosive charge on its back before dismounting. The blast barely left a scratch on the general's back, though, and it continued its pursuit of the thief unabated. Ares' slow and somewhat clumsy swings were easy for Red X to evade but the more precise and targeted shots from Ares' shoulder-mounted laser cannons proved more difficult. In effort to jump and dodge around the laser bolts, he accidentally left himself exposed mid-air and Ares, in a sudden display of speed and precision, clamped its claws upon the thief's leg. Red X couldn't even get off an 'oh shit' before being slammed hard into the floor several times over. Only through Bumblebee's intervention and a swift kick to the jaw was Red X released from the machine's grip.

"Come on, we need to get out of here," Bumblebee said as she was about to help her comrade to his feet. Before she could, though, an intense and fiery pain shot through her shoulder.

"I insist you stay," spoke Apollo, who stood just a few feet away from Bumblebee with a sword tip buried into the heroine's back. It gave the sword a slight twist, causing the pain to flare up immensely. Apollo took advantage of Bumblebee's immobility and slashed at the back of her leg with its other sword, dropping her to floor immediately.

With wrist blades readied, Red X counter-attacked to force Apollo away from the downed hero. "You can still just walk away from this," Apollo offered as the two warrior's blades locked tightly. "It's not too late to save yourself."

"No can do buddy; I've got a personal stake in this," Red X insisted. He didn't believe the machine, anyways, and figured he would just be cut down the moment he turned his back on them.

"Humans and their sentiments," Apollo simply sighed before kicking the hero away. The general rushed for a second attack but the thief teleported several feet back to give himself more space to counter with a flurry of explosive shurikens.

"Can you still shrink?" Red X asked as he quickly moved to his comrade's side.

"Yes. Why?"

"Just do it!"

With no time to argue, Bumblebee complied and quickly shrunk down to insect size. Red X then took her in hand and tucked her away into a spare pocket. "Going to be a little bumpy," he warned before sprinting off in time to avoid a barrage of laser bolts. With a few jumps, dives, and rolls, he was out of sight and out of danger. Since he wasn't going to fight with a wounded heroine bouncing around in his pocket, Red X retreated back to the top of the tower where the rest of the Titans were holding up. Upon his arrival, he was met by Speedy and Aqualad, who quickly helped to support Bumblebee once she had returned to her normal size.

"Please tell me you've killed them all and all is peaceful now," Speedy quipped in a sarcastic retort.

"Nope, we're all going to die now," Red X replied, equally sarcastic.

"Oh goody…well, at least I don't have to worry about repainting my living quarters then."

While Aqualad helped Bumblebee up to the balcony where the twins were resting too, Speedy got a fresh bow ready and took up firing position. "So what colour were you thinking?" Red X asked as he stood in striking distance of the entrance.

"I'm thinking maybe something red…you know, to match the uniform."

"Awfully bold colour, you sure you want to be waking up to that every morning?"

"Well what would you recommend?"

"Maybe something more tranquil like a light shade of blue or cyan."

"Blue wouldn't match the drapes; I don't want to have to buy new ones."

"What about off-white?"

"Too neutral. It'd be like ordering vanilla ice cream."

"Well, just don't use a colour that's too over-powering."

"Do some redecorating lately?"

"Blackfire made me repaint the bedroom."

"What'd she choose?"

"She eventually went for a very subtle hint of purple."

"How does it look?"

"It looks pretty good actually."

After a very brief pause the pair broke out into laughter, much to the confusion of the other Titans overhearing the conversation. Once the laughter died down, the only audible noise was the approaching footsteps from far down the corridor.

"Is this how you imagined the end would be?" Speedy asked surprisingly calmly.

"I had envisioned my death to involve a lot more naked women and alcohol."

"You don't have to stay here. You can still escape – you've done everything you could."

"I'm not finished with these bastards just yet."

"Really now?"

"Well, just between you and me…I'd hate myself if I just ran off and left you guys here to die."

"Aww, Red, you do care," Speedy jested. There was another brief pause where only the echoing footsteps prevented a silent calm from settling in. The individual steps blended together into one continuous and ominous roar, like a torrential downpour of metal raindrops. And like a storm, the constant pounding was overtaken by a thunderous crash as energy blasts were fired downrange.

"Shit," was the unanimous response from the defenders as the pair took cover. The suppression fire was laid down heavily, preventing Speedy from firing any more than a few arrows at a time with little time to aim.

"You ready kid?" Red X shouted.

"Born ready!"

Jumping into the corridor, Red X dove through the barrage of gunfire to reach the Spartan front lines. The lead warrior didn't stand a chance as he drove both wrist blades into its face, shredding it into pieces, before quickly prying the heavy shield off its arm and using it to deflect the next few volleys. However, once the drones had turned their attention to Red X, Speedy was able to provide support from downrange, striking down several more Spartans with accurate arrow fire.

Through the ranks of soldiers came forth a gold-plated Spartan captain who plowed into Red X with all speed, pushing the thief several feet into the main hall before he could break free from the monstrous warrior.

"X! The Windows!" Speedy shouted, pointing towards the steel-covered windows that were slowly being cut through by outside invaders.

"You deal with it," Red X ordered as he clashed with the Spartan captain. Stronger and tougher than the regulars, the captain's powerful swings and long spear kept Red X at bay while more Spartans began to pour into the room.

Though Speedy was able to keep most of the Spartans from entering through the cut-open windows, as more passages were cut open he was quickly overwhelmed by the numbers. The additional troops breaching through the open doorway soon began to surround the defenders, one of which rushed up behind Speedy and knocked him over with a blow from its shield.

"You got to be kidding me," Red X muttered when he noticed his comrade being downed. He promptly blinded the Spartan captain by firing an X that clung tightly to its face, giving him a chance to break free and vault over the swarms of soldiers. Leaping onto the back of Speedy's attacker, he decapitated the machine with a quick slash from his wrist blade before dropping to his comrade's side. "How many more times do I have to save your ass?"

"Should be the last time," Speedy said. Just as he reached for his fallen bow, a Spartan stomped upon the weapon and shattered it into useless fragments.

"Looks like you're done here," Red X said as he hoisted Speedy onto his shoulder and leapt over the crowds once more. He rushed up the stairs to the balcony where Aqualad was waiting for him anxiously. Just as the thief passed Speedy over to his teammate, an energy arrow struck Red X in the thigh – Apollo had entered the fight.

"Red!"

"I'll be fine," he insisted just as a second arrow struck him in the back sending him collapsing to one knee. One of the twins was about to move to help him up but Red X waved the child off. "See you when this is all over," X groaned, using the nearby console to get back to his feet. Despite the shouts of protest from the Titans, Red X tapped the final command into the console, activating the final set of barriers that erected around the balcony.

"Red, don't do this!" Speedy, who had broken away from Aqualad, shouted as he pounded on last metal panel that stood between him and Red X. "God dammit X, open this thing up!"

"Sorry kid but this is where we part ways," was the muffled reply. "If you see her…tell her that I love her. Tell her that I had always loved her but was always too scared to say so."

Red X wouldn't get a chance to hear Speedy's response as a Spartan had ascended the stairs; it grabbed the hero by the cape and hurled him down the stairs, landing in the midst of the crowd of warriors and right at the feet of Ares.

"Aw, what's the matter? No fight left in you?" Ares taunted as he 'lightly' stomped on the thief's back. "Look what you've done Apollo. You have ruined my fun."

Apollo, who was standing by an opening through the window, replied, "I stopped having 'fun' half an hour ago when we should have been finished."

"That is the difference between you and I; you see fighting as a job, I see it as a joy."

"No – I simply find amusement in the challenge, whereas you find it in the wanton destruction. That is the difference between us," Apollo said distastefully. "Now could you please kill the bastard so we can finish the job and go home? Athena is going to pissed enough as it is when she sees how few troops we're returning with."

"You can run home to Athena," Ares scoffed, "I am going to take this human apart piece by piece. Come on, little man, I want to hear you scream." With that, the giant put its heel to the hero's back and slowly began to apply pressure. Even from behind the several inches of steel, the Titans East could hear the agonized scream that echoed through the tower…and were powerless to do anything about it.

"You've got a sick mind Ares," Apollo said.

"Sorry Blackfire…" Red X quietly groaned, propping himself up slightly on one elbow, "this is all I have to give…"

"What'd you say human?" Ares barked, flipping the hero over with its foot. As he landed on his back, the general saw the thief holding his suits belt in one hand and a readied shuriken in the other.

"I said 'time to go out with a bang'," he quipped before driving the blade into the belt's power supply, triggering the xenothium power supply.

Even from all the way across the city, in the little warehouse where Blackfire, Jinx, and Kid Flash were just finishing up their rescue operation, the thunderous roar of the explosion could be heard. Alas, their rush back home would be too little and far too late, as all they found was a tower full of scrapped machines and a main hall filled with slagged robotic remains, including that of the great general Ares, and scorched ruins.

Only the shielded balcony survived the blast.


	20. Chapter 19: Falling Apart

**Chapter Nineteen: Falling Apart**

**"Are you sure you're okay?"**

"I'm fine. Why do you keep asking?" Jacqueline insisted.

"I've hung around Raven long enough to know when somebody says 'I'm fine' it usually means the exact opposite," Beast Boy replied. "Plus you've been staring at that floor long enough to burn a hole through it."

For the first time in the past three hours, Jacqueline managed to pry her gaze away from the small speck of dirt between her feet long enough to cast a disheartened glance to her friend…before returning it right back to the floor. It had been a long ride back from France and aside from the constant churn of the plane's engines and the occasional bout of turbulence, there has been little noise in the passenger hold. Somebody could have at least given the pair a portable DVD player so they could have an in-flight movie.

Beast Boy knew his friend was depressed. Her hometown had been wrecked by a giant robot that also killed her father, she failed in her mission to stop whatever the Legion was up to in Europe, and her guitar was wrecked again. It was a major low-point in her career and the only thing preventing her from free-falling into a depression was her anger. While Beast Boy was glad that the cargo hold of the military plane provided a relatively quiet, private setting for them, it created an awful tension between them. He wanted to say more but he wasn't sure how without sounding like his usual goofball self.

"I am going to kill zose goddamn robots…" she muttered under her breath.

"Come on Jacq, don't start thinking like that. I've seen it a million times on TV – you get all focused on revenge and then the close friend gets killed in a dramatic third act climax."

"Doesn't zat zen galvanize ze hero's resolve to finish the job and save ze world?"

"Yeah…but I'm the loveable close friend that'd get killed! It's always the comic relief guy! And if I bit the dust who would make all the jokes that keep the tensions away and keep the team happily content despite the overwhelming dysfunction?"

"I zink somebody's been watching too many children's cartoons again," Jacqueline replied, cocking an eyebrow briefly before letting out a soft laugh.

"It was the only channel that wasn't in French…"

"Well don't worry mon amis," she reassured while patting him lightly on the head, "I have no intention of letting ze robots get you."

"Darn straight – you still owe me a moped ride. And I want 'eyes to the back of your skull' speed on it!"

Jacqueline laughed once again, shaking her head in disbelief at her friend's stalwart dedication to his favourite mode of transportation. She did look forward to that and to the time when all of this Legion business would finally be behind them. It would be a welcomed distraction as she felt she needed a really, really long vacation after this – a sentiment likely shared by all his comrades.

"Soooo…did they ever find out what the Legion stole?"

"Some sort of experimental generator," Jacqueline answered. "I get ze feeling zat ze Legion is building something big again; probably somezing with a big gun too."

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Beast Boy said with a sigh. Hopefully it wasn't another giant robot but considering the Legions preference towards them he wouldn't be surprised.

"Zere's one zing zat's still bugging me," Jacqueline began. "Why ze hell am I still alive?"

"You better not be getting emo on me!"

"No, I mean…why has ze Legion been ignoring perfectly good opportunities to take us out? I know you said zat ze jets scared the colossus away but it would've taken it a second to just stomp on me. So why didn't it? You said yourself zat zey had opportunity to take out you, Cyborg, and basically everyone else. Zey must need us alive for some reason because zey could've killed us a half-dozen times over already."

"You think they're going to make evil robot clones of us again?" Beast Boy asked, not liking the prospect of having to go through that ordeal again.

"Zat'd be too convenient. I don't know why zey are but whatever ze reason it can't be good for us. I can't shake zis feeling zat zey're leading us like sheep to ze slaughter."

"Baa," bleated the green ram in protest.

"Indeed," she said with a nod, intertwining her fingers and resting her chin on them. "I got a bad feeling about zis."

Though nothing at all about the Legion instilled 'good feelings,' Beast Boy definitely agreed with Jacqueline. Things weren't adding up and even Beast Boy's poor arithmetic skills could tell that the final sum was going to be nothing but bad news for all of them. However, before the pair could speculate further on the nature of the Legion's plans, Beast Boy's communicator began to beep loudly. It wasn't the good kind of beeping either, not that any sort of beeping accompanied by a flashing red light have ever been associated with good things. The fact that it was the tower's new emergency distress signal that Cyborg had recently installed in made it all the more disconcerting.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Jacqueline shouted in disbelief.

"M-maybe it's just a test. You know…a drill."

_"Warning: this is not a drill,"_ the communicator conveniently chimed.

"Bastards won't even give me time to properly mourn," Jacqueline muttered bitterly under her breath as she undid her shoulder harness and headed for the front of the plane. Puzzled, Beast Boy followed suit. "Do we have enough fuel to reach Jump City?" she asked the pilot of the plane.

"We should have just enough. Change of plans I take it?" he replied.

"The bad kind I'm afraid," Jacq explained before turning to the co-pilot. "You – outta ze chair. I'm flying."

The co-pilot gave her a dumbfounded expression, switching glances between her and his pilot comrade. "What? You can't just tell me to-"

"Ignore him. He's new here," the pilot suddenly interrupted. "Get out of the chair rookie." Without a word, the co-pilot acquiesced and surrendered his chair over to Jacqueline, who wasted no time buckling in. "Try not to burn out the engines this time."

"No promises," she replied before looking back to Beast Boy. "You might want to strap yourself in little buddy."

"Um…why?" he queried.

"Cause I'm about to super-charge an airplane."

"She can't be serious," the co-pilot objected once more.

"She's serious," the other male occupants said in unison.

Beast Boy and the co-pilot rushed to get strapped down as Jacqueline began channeling her power into the aircraft. As the engines began to roar louder, the plane began to tremble in a most unsettling of fashions. Beast Boy's knowledge of avionics might have been limited only to 'planes go woosh' but he knew enough to know that planes didn't vibrate because somebody put espresso in the jet fuel. Only his trust in Jacqueline stood between his current sense of unease and full-blown screaming, arm-flailing, circle-running panic. That and the fact that standing up right now would probably throw him into the backend of the plane.

"Are we there yet?" Beast Boy shouted.

"We'll get zere when we get zere," was Jacqueline's response.

While it might have been the most anxiety-inducing plane ride he's ever been on and it brought air sickness to a whole new level, one couldn't argue with the results. It might have almost completely drained Jacqueline but the trip that would normally have taken a few hours was reduced to a mere fraction of that time. Everybody on the plane breathed a sigh of relief when the vibrations finally ceased and they could feel the plane slowly to its normal speeds. Just as Beast Boy finished unbuckling his safety harness, he saw a tired Jacqueline staggering out from the cockpit.

"You okay?"

"I'll be fine…just a little tired. I told ze pilot…to slow ze plane down, drop altitude, and make a pass over ze tower," Jacqueline explained. It didn't take long for Beast Boy to figure out what her plan was.

"You're crazy," Beast Boy remarked.

"Yeah…but you love it," she chuckled coyly in response before heading over to a footlocker that had been stowed beneath one of the seats. Quickly scavenging through it, she took out a pistol and her father's old rapier, both mementos she took from home.

"Since when did I become the voice of reason around here?" he commented while watching his friend fastens her new weapons to her belt. "You sure you want to do this still?"

"My friends are in trouble," Jacqueline answered quietly. "It's time to stop treating this like a game and be serious."

Beast Boy never thought he'd see the day where Jacqueline would say that. While Robin often had his serious moments, Jacqueline was usual about as carefree as the green Titan. For her, being a hero was more than just a duty, it was a passion. Like him, being a hero was pretty much the only life she had ever known. But like that childlike sense of wonder, it was only a matter of time before her playful mindset would give way to the harsh realities of the profession. He just wished it hadn't had to come about like this…and so soon.

"We're opening the rear hatch, you two better stand back," the pilot called out from the front. A red warning light began to flash as hydraulics wailed with activity, pushing the rear hatch down and revealing the city landscape below. The roar of the wind drowned out all other noise, leaving Jacqueline to motion for Beast Boy to follow; However, she didn't wait long before jumping headlong out the back of the plane, no doubt shouting 'woo' all the while.

Since she clearly didn't bother with a parachute Beast Boy had to rush after her, morphing in a falcon so he could dive with enough velocity to catch up to her. Once he caught up, he swooped underneath her and shifted into a pterodactyl in order to scoop her up and begin a safe descent to the Titans Tower's rooftop.

"Cyborg, Raven - we've just arrived on the rooftop. What's the situation?" Jacqueline shouted into her communicator as she finally set foot on solid ground.

"I can't tell you how good it is to hear a friendly voice," Cyborg's voice replied over the communicator. "We got robots crawling all over the place. I'm pinned down in the garage and I can't reach Raven on the communicators."

"Do you know where she is?"

"In her room last time I saw her."

"What about Robin and Starfire?"

"Still in Gotham last I heard."

"Damn. Again wiz ze divide and conquer," Jacqueline cursed under her breath. "Okay, just stay alive. We're on our way."

"Don't have to tell me twice."

"Beast Boy," Jacqueline began as she turned to her friend, "You can reach ze garage ze quickest so you go and help out Cyborg. I'll go and find Raven."

"Just be careful," Beast Boy nodded before jumping over the railing to reach his friend on the ground floor. Without her guitar or any other means of flight, Jacqueline's only option charging down the rooftop stairwell and hoping her exhaustion didn't cause her to take an unfortunate tumble. She couldn't deny the fact that her own personal feelings for Raven were partly responsible for her sending Beast Boy off to save Cyborg and she just prayed that her friend was unharmed.

The fear of losing another person close to her was far better motivation than she would have thought possible; she practically flew down the stairs, hopping the railings several times over to hasten her trip.

Her first sight upon reaching the desired floor was not a positive one as she found a pair of Furies standing guard in the hallway. At least, though, it told her that she probably had the right floor for finding Raven. Opting for the 'shoot first, heroic speeches later' option, a charged blast from her laser pistol put a clean, golf ball-sized hole through the head of one of the robots, no doubt startling the other one.

"Enemy reinforcements," the robot shouted, likely into a communicator. "Strength unknown; send reinforcements to point A3." That was all the warning the machine would get off as Jacqueline's rapier quickly pierced the Fury's chest, skewering its power core.

"I only wish there a hell for you bastards to burn in," Jacqueline muttered angrily as she took the machine's head off with a second strike.

Sure enough, though, there was soon another pair of Furies rounding the corner and charging straight for her and firing a volley of metal javelins. Reacting quickly, Jacqueline dove backwards, firing laser bolts off as the metal missiles just narrowly passed over her. Well-aimed bolts of energy managed to fell the first of the Furies but the second one was able to close the gap, forcing Jacqueline to roll out of the way of its claws. Springing back to her feet, Jacqueline launched a counter-attack, exchanging thrusts and parries with the Fury. The Fury thought it had Jacqueline when it was able to lock her blade down with its claws but with a charge of her power and a flick of her wrist, her rapier was able to break from and shatter all of its claws in the process. Its brief, defenseless moment gave Jacqueline all the time she needed to puts its head on the receiving end of a laser bolt.

Hearing more metallic footsteps approaching, Jacqueline readied herself for more Furies or perhaps Spartans. What emerged from around the corner, though, were not the usual robotic warriors of the Legion but instead a trio of wolf-like robots, each one casting its amber gaze upon her.

"Well zat's new," she quipped, surprised but prepared to fight nonetheless.

Far down the corridor, beyond the sound of the nearby fighting, the door to Raven's room lay in the middle of the hallway, torn apart from its frame like wrapping paper. The interior was more akin to a war zone than somebody's living quarters as books and furniture laid strewn across the room. The bodies of fallen robots were scattered across the room, most in several pieces and one was even embedded in a large crater in the wall. Alas, the fighting had ceased within the bed chamber. Forced to her knees in the center of the room was Raven with a Fury standing behind her with one hand gripping the back of her head and the other keeping her arm wrenched into a most uncomfortable position. Two other Furies rummaged through the scattered books and broken shelves in search of something, while Artemis, General of the Legion, stood impatiently before the Titan.

"I know you have hidden it somewhere. Tell me where it is and I won't kill you," Artemis demanded.

"Like I'd believe a word from you," Raven simply answered in defiance.

"I will have Chrono's journal. Whether you live or die afterwards is entirely up to you."

"And you'll never find it so you might as well just give it up."

"While I would much enjoy taking the time to give you a thorough 'interrogation,' your friends seem to already be on their way. Rip it from her mind…and make sure it's painful."

"As you command," the Fury replied, unfurling a series of small wire-like tendrils from its hand.

Though the sounds of clashing metal and gunfire never reached the bed chamber, Raven's pained cry echoed through the entire floor, reaching Jacqueline's ear and prompting her to hasten her approach. Concern turned to panic at the thought of what might have happened and her arrival to find the trio of Furies standing overtop of Raven's unconscious body brought forth a hell-born fury from her. Artemis, however, was strangely absent.

"Get away from her!" Jacqueline shouted at the top of her lungs, charging headlong into the closest, stabbing it over and over until it didn't even twitch anymore.

"Quick, secure the exit," one of the Furies commanded the other before Jacqueline capitalized on its distraction by blasting a hole through its face.

Though she didn't know what exit the Fury was referring to, reaching wherever it was heading was likely not want Jacqueline wanted. Jacqueline hurled her rapier at the fleeing Fury, impaling it through the chest and sending it crashing into the nearby desk, which, thus far, had remained the only undestroyed piece of furniture. Such was not the case anymore, as the desk was crushed into splinters, along with most of the contents on the surface, including a hand-mirror that shattered into pieces when it landed against the machine's shoulder.

The robot's remains, though, were not her concern but her fallen teammate who was unresponsive when she tried to get her attention.

"Come on Raven, please say something…anything," Jacqueline whimpered, tapping Raven's cheek to try and rouse her. There was no response. She was still breathing but when Jacqueline checked the back of her neck, the obvious markings of a Legion's mind probe were still there. Panic turned into terror at the thought of her friend becoming a bed-ridden vegetable. "No…no no no. Not you too. I can't lose you as well…"

* * *

"We got here as fast as we could, what happened Beast Boy?" the hero formerly known as Robin said as he rushed into the waiting room outside the medical rooms.

"The Legion attacked while we were all…wait, what happened to you? Why aren't you all…Robin-y?" Beast Boy replied when he noticed that the Titan leader was not standing in his usual red and green uniform but instead dressed in casual attire with a gray leather coat, blue jeans, and sunglasses.

"Long story, I'll explain later. What happened here?" Dick repeated.

However, before Beast Boy could explain Starfire wandered into the room and looked past the pair to catch a glimpse of a familiar figure lying on a medical bed in the next room. "Raven!" Starfire exclaimed in panic before flying past the others.

That was all Dick needed to hear as he chased after his teammate. In the next room, he found Raven lying motionless on a medical bed. Dozens of sensors and probes were attached to her forehead and arms, each one picking up data and displaying it on a large screen filled so many numbers and twitching lines that he could barely make sense of it. Cyborg was still toiling away on the computers, making minute adjusts and pouring over all the data, while an almost traumatized Jacqueline sat silently in the corner, staring blankly at the ground. She was muttering something under her breath but it was all in French and barely even audible.

"How is she?" Dick asked. A thousand questions ran through his head but the only one that mattered was the one about his friend.

"Not good," was Cyborg's grim response, eliciting a horrified gasp from Starfire. "There's extensive damage to her brain, especially the central and frontal regions. Judging by the read-outs, though, and considering Raven's a bit more resilient being part-demon, there's a good chance she'll recover but…"

"But what?"

"There's…also a good chance that there will be major memory loss and personality discrepancies…and they could be permanent."

Once again, just when it seemed like the Titans were getting back on top of things the Legion pulled the rug out from under them. Dick's frustrations were understandable so it didn't surprise anybody when he vented his anger by putting his fist through the nearest computer monitor.

"Are you…okay?" Starfire asked cautiously.

"I think…I think I'm going to need a few bandages," Dick said softly.

"I will fetch you a kit of first aid."

"Thanks Star…" While Starfire headed over to one of the cabinets, Dick turned his attention back to Cyborg. "Do you have any idea what they are after this time?"

"Probably something that only Raven knew, which doesn't really narrow things down for us."

"Zey were looking for something in her room," Jacqueline spoke up, though her voice was dull and listless. "It looked ransacked…drawers and shelves emptied everywhere."

"Did they say anything?" Dick asked.

"One said 'secure the exit' but ze robot went for ze nearby desk instead. I'm not sure what zat meant."

"Um, this desk…it didn't happen to have a small, black handheld mirror on it?" Beast Boy asked warily.

"I believe I saw somezing like zat."

Cyborg and Beast Boy exchanged nervously glances, or at least Beast Boy did and it could be assumed that Cyborg was thinking the same thing. All eyes fell upon them until Dick finally asked, "Okay, what's with the mirror?"

"Well, it's not so much a mirror as it's…um," Cyborg began but began to trail off part-way through.

Beast Boy was quick to pick up, though, adding, "As it's a gateway into her noggin."

"A gateway?" Dick repeated.

"Into her mind?" Starfire added.

Beast Boy and Cyborg nodded in unison.

"You don't think one of them is actually in there…do you?"

"Are automatons even capable of such?"

"If they can and there is one in there, there's no telling what kind of damage they could do," Cyborg informed them. "Not to mention we might be able to figure out what they're looking for."

"Man, I was kinda hoping I'd never have to go back in there. That place is creepy," Beast Boy admitted reluctantly. However, he and everyone else on the team would go to hell and back for Raven, so braving the dangers of her mind paled in comparison. "I'll go get the mirror."

"Uh-oh…" Jacqueline peeped once more.

"Uh-oh? Uh-oh is bad. Very, very bad! Ixnay on the uh-oh! Please don't say that the mirror is in a million pieces."

"Okay, I won't say zat."

"Damn…" Cyborg groaned. "Now how do we follow them?"

"Perhaps I could be of some assistance," spoke an eerily familiar voice. All eyes turned to the doorway where there stood someone whom none of them ever thought they would see again. Clad in dark, tattered robes and runic metal armour was the dark former ruler of Daluram – Napharak Trnorbane. "After all, portals are my specialty."

"Didn't you disintegrate?"


End file.
